


In Your Heart Shall Burn

by Live4h0y



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angry Lavellan, Companion Lavellan, Established Lavellan/Solas, F/M, POV Lavellan, POV Solas, Past Lavellan/Solas, Sexy Solas, SolAss, Solas Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-25 08:48:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 29,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6187981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Live4h0y/pseuds/Live4h0y
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Solas x Lavellan Fan Fiction. </p><p>Rihari Lavellan falls in love with the strange elf, as he does with her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The way that she moved. The way her blue eyes turned hard as she let an arrow fly from the string of her bow. The way her smile lit up the world. All of these things occurred to Solas as he had been travelling about with her. She was astonishing, to say the least. She was beautiful, strong, cheerful. She made jokes and poked fun at her group of friends. She enjoyed chatting, but she never pushed, a trait he enjoyed in a companion, especially now. 

Of course, he could never have her. She was gorgeous and bubbly, and sure he wanted to touch her flawless face and maybe even go further than that, maybe even touch more private places. Maybe he would have before, but now.. No. He could not be drawn to her. He could not have feelings for her, because he knew the inevitable, that he must leave. 

No one means to become infatuated with someone. Sometimes they don't even really notice that person until a certain moment. A moment while the person laughs, or while they are just talking, maybe they weren't doing anything at all. Such was the case between Solas and Rihari. 

When he had first seen her, she had been asleep. He tended to the mark of old magic that was on her hand, trying to keep it stabilized so that she might live. He wondered how she had gotten the mark, but that would have to wake until she awoke. In the hours he had tended to her in a damp and musty jail cell, she had seemed unremarkable. Just a Dalish elf with the black marks of Dirthamen on her face. The marks were amazing. Exactly the same as the ones he had seen in ancient times. There was not a line out of place. Her black hair matched the marks on her face, and he had assumed that she would have brown eyes as well. The vibrant blue of her eyes were breathtaking, set inside of the vallaslin for the God ofor Secrets, and in contrast with her dark hair. He stumbled for words when they had first met on the battlefield. 

She hardly noticed him then. After awhile she spent more and more time talking with him. Finding companionship in the only other elf she knew. Where as Solas was shy and grim, she was friendly and bubbly. She always seemed to be smiling or joking. She was the perfect opposite of him. Everyone liked her, they fed off of her optimism and her smile, they needed it to keep going, like leeches that stick to one's back in a pond, the person knows not it is being used as a life source for meek creatures. 

Rihari had made some advances. She had flirted with him only once technically. Saying that she would not let anyone do anything to him, referring to the Chantry, and he being an apostate in the middle of a war between mages and Templars. He had asked her "How will you stop them?"

She smiled and shrugged a little before looking at him seriously. "However I have to." 

Her care and protective attitude towards him had surprised him. He didn't know what to say for a moment. Simply looking at her, his eyes not wide, but not nearly as suspicious as before. He smiled softly. "Thank you." 

She flashed that vibrant smile, that he had thought impossible to exist in a world so dead. Now that she had noticed him, he wondered how interested she was, but only briefly before reminding himself that he must not become involved with anyone. His plans already set in motion, he could not back out now.

Rihari had tried not to be pushy about her crush on the mysterious elf. She had asked questions, but if he steered the conversation elsewhere, she was fine with that too. She wanted to know more about him, but she also didn't want him to stop talking. His voice was melodic, she couldn't listen to it enough and the way his eyes glinted when he spoke of the Fade, she couldn't help but stare. 

He hadn't noticed her staring, of course. Oh no, Rihari was careful to not let him notice. She could be sly at times. She was sneaky too. As a child, she would sometimes sneak out of bed and into the woods. The Clan had a wolf they had found as a pup, abandoned by its parents, and they had raised the beast with the children. The wolf who they had named Fen, literally meaning wolf in Elvhen, would follow her most nights and they would frolic about, playing tag and the like. She would laugh as he growled at her playfully and ran around trees and bushes in a wild figure eight, with his tail wagging wildly.

She loved listening to Solas speak of the Fade. She was no mage, but that didn't mean she had no connection to the Fade. As an elf, the connection to the Fade was vital for survival. While she could not enter the Fade and could not draw mana from there either, she could still feel it tingle on her skin in certain areas where the veil was thin. She could still feel it's tug when she let loose an arrow.  She could still dream in the Fade. 

He told her of all sorts of wondrous things. She begged him to take her there, so she could see these things as well, but he had only laughed at her request. She could only enter the Fade by certain measures. An eluvian was one way to enter the Between and inevitably the Fade, but she had never seen a working eluvian herself. Or if by some accident she was brought there, like when she had allegedly "fell" from a rift. Another way, was if a God called her there. 

Since none of those were possible, she asked Solas about the Fade alot. About things he had seen on his journeys, and he was always happy to oblige. 

Once on a journey in the Hinterlands, she had asked him about where he grew up. He had looked off in front of them, at the trees as they walked on. 

"In a small village to the North." He told her. 

"What did you do there?" Her shoulder bumped his as they walked, she kept looking over to him as well, studying his face as the corner of his lips twitched before he spoke again. 

"Dreamed of the Fade mostly." He smiled faintly. 

She snorted. "Well, I imagine you didn't sleep all the time." She beamed a smile over at him as she tucked her stray braid behind her ear again. 

"No." He admired her smiling face. "I did not. It was a farm village." 

She stopped dead in her tracks. "Wait what?" She arched her eyebrow as she put her hands on her hips. "You, a farm boy?"

He smiled, Fenedhis she is beautiful. "Ah, yes. I, a farm boy." He chuckled, "Though not a very good on. All too often did I shuck my duties." He smiled faintly. "My mother would always find me sleeping in the fields, on a bed of corn rather than cutting it down with my brothers and sister." 

They started walking again, noticing now how far behind the group they were. "Oh, yeah? I bet she was irate, hmm?" 

He laughed again, his eyes taking on a light of nostalgia, "Oh yes." She smiled again as they walked on, and he couldn't help but let her smile warm his soul.


	2. Chapter 2

They had been running errands for the people at Crossroads for what seemed like weeks, though it had only been about 4 days. Rihari wondered if they really had enough time to be trying to win the natives, but she supposed they had no choice. 

All the people at Crossroads were taken with her, as most people were. She was quite popular among the people, as the Herald of Andraste. She ate up the attention, of course. Rihari loved having the attention on her. She was confident in herself, yet refrained from being prideful. She was humbly confident, and people tended to notice it. 

When they finally had a chance to return to Haven, the first thing she did was go to her borrowed cottage and sleep. She didn't care that it was only in the eleventh hour of the day, she was exhausted. She awoke as the sun set. The pink and orange hues cracking through the curtained window, and warming a line down her cheek. She rolled out of bed slowly, yawning and stretching as she got to her feet. She felt a rumble in her belly and decided she would head to the tavern for something to eat.

She shambled down the path towards the bar, the clothing she had chosen were not hardly warm enough, the snow biting through the soft fabric or her pants legs as she walked. The wind blew white powder under the hood of her jacket, making her cheeks blush against the cold. Luckily she didn't have to walk far. 

The bartender supplied Rihari with some bland soup and a chunk of grainy bread. She thanked the woman and tipped her a gold shilling for her service. Most people were turning in at the time, going to where ever they stayed to keep warm by the hearth, so she was alone in the bar aside from the hostess, who was preparing to close shop. 

So imagine Rihari's surprise when Solas wandered into the building, he caressed an armful of firewood. The bartender rushed to meet him as he struggled with the door. 

"Oh, thank you again for the wood. I didn't have time today to get any. 'Twas afraid I would be sleeping in the cold tonight." She said as she helped him with half the load. 

"I saw. You were quite busy today. I thought you might be in need of some wood for the night." He smiled to Rihari as he passed and dropped the wood beside the fireplace. 

"How very thoughtful it was of you, Sir!" The tender said. "Please, sit. The Herald is just having a nighttime snack. We were just talking about your journeys in the Hinterlands." 

Rihari smiled to the woman, and then to Solas who was already smiling faintly as he slid onto the stool next to her. She offered him a bite of her bread, but he declined having already eaten that evening. 

....  
"Are you tired?" Rihari asked Solas as they stepped outside the cavern."I just woke up from a long nap. Want to go chat awhile?" She phrased it as a question, but it didn't seem optional. Solas wasn't tired, but if he had been he would have denied it just to spend time with her. 

"Yes. I have some tomes I gathered on my travels you may be interested in." He lead her towards his own borrowed cottage. There were other people staying there, but they were already fast asleep in their raggedy beds, behind the thin walls separating the beds. Solas was well aware that Rihari loved to talk of the Fade, since of course she could not enter there, her knowledge was limited. 

"Oh, you know I would be interested!" She exclaimed as she dashed for the steps, passing him by in a flash of black hair and giggles. He laughed at her enthusiasm. "What is it, farm boy?" She teased, turning back to sneer at him with her arms held out to her sides, "Last one to the house is a dead nug."

"That is incredibly childish." Solas said, but he dashed up the steps after her anyways. A smile on his face as he caught up with her. They crashed into the door, both laughing like children. 

"A tie." She smiled, "How unfortunate." 

"I suppose it is." She was mere inches from his face. Her beautiful blue eyes full of childish joy. Her lips were turned up in a smile that held his breath back in his lungs. He wanted to kiss her. He started to lean in to kiss her, when the door swung open. Rihari jumped and lost her footing when it was opened. Laughing as she crashed into the snow. 

"My heavens!" And old elf woman stood in the door way. "I thought I was about to have to drag some children back to their parents." She said disdainfully. "Keep it down, would ya? Trying to get me some sleep." 

Rihari was on her feet now. As Solas opened his mouth to speak, she spoke for him. "Ir abelas, hahren. We didn't mean to wake you." She flashed a shy smile, and the elderly woman's face softened, her wrinkles flattening out from the grimace she had held on her face just moments before. "We'll keep it down."

"Very well." The woman nodded before leaving the door. Solas lead a snickering Rihari inside and closed it behind her. 

She was very curious, and wanted to know what some of the lines said. She had a better connection to the Elvhen language than most he had seen. Alot of things she could read plainly, the words seemed to jump off the page and into her mind with perfect translation. However, sometimes she couldn't understand what was being said, and she would ask Solas to translate. 

"How did you learn so much elvhen?" She closed the book and sat back against the wall behind his bed. 

"What do you mean by that?" He asked from his position at the foot of the bed. His head cocked slightly. 

"I mean how did you get to know Elvhen so well?" 

He paused. "I learned most of my knowledge in the Fade." 

"Of course." She smiled at him. "The Fade." Her smile fell through though. She looked troubled. 

"Are you well?" He asked her, scooting a little closer. 

"Yes. I was just thinking. All these things you know from the Fade," She looked at him thoughtfully, "Why do the Dalish not do that? Go learn our language and history from the Fade."

"Because, Rihari. The Fade reflects the people around it." He stated. "Also, knowledge is not found by those who do not seek it the correct way." 

She nodded. Then stretched out her arms over her head and yawned. "I need to be going. We have a big day tomorrow." Referring to them getting back out there to win the people's hearts. She grabbed her coat off the headboard and slipped it on. 

"Here, let me walk you." Solas said opening the door for her as she exited. They walked on in silence a moment before she bumped her shoulder against his playfully. 

"You know, you're very mysterious." She said as they walked. 

"Ah, but so are you." He smiled at her and she smiled back. 

"I'm an open book." She stated, "But don't stop being you." A smile spread across her face. "I really like you for you. Mysteriousness and all." They had reached the cottage she stayed in. She turned to face him. Her eyes searching his. He melted under her gaze, his resolve to stay away had already fell away, but in that moment he realized he could not stay away, she was too vibrant, too stunning and infectious. 

"I like you for you, as well." He smiled, which only made hers grow. His heart ached, he wished they could be.

"We'll talk later, yeah?" 

"Of course." Smile still on his lips. "Good night."


	3. Chapter 3

The sleeping arrangements for their group were simple. Women together and men together. Rihari knew well that Cassandra would not have sleeping in the same tent with Varric, and besides it was preferred this way. No awkwardness in the morning. 

Rihari rolled out of the tent almost literally. She was exhausted, and the mere 5 hours of sleep had not helped the matter. Cassandra was already up of course, tending the fire. It was early yet, the dew still clinging to the grass. Birds chirped happily, glad to see the sun peeking up over the faraway mountains. Rihari frowned at the sunrise, she wasn't what one would call an early bird, preferring to sleep until noon most days. 

"Not an early riser?" Cassandra asked as she cooked some leftover ram meat over the dying flames. 

Rihari grunted and dragged her feet over to sit beside Cassandra. She watched grease fall from the meat and into the smoldering embers with a hiss and a pop as they were devoured by the heat. The meat smelled delicious, and she decided to make a little tea as well. 

Rihari gathered up leaves from elfroot and some pine straw before heading back to camp. Before she had left, she had heated some water. Now she dropped the root and straw into the water. She stirred it around with the ladle connected to the pot. Then she reached into her bag and retrieved a deep mushroom. She dropped it in there as well. Moments later she drew some of the liquid out by means of the ladle and took a sip. It was good, minty and full from pine and root, yet twangy and sweet from the mushroom. The concoction helped wake her up a bit as well. 

They would make it back to Haven by that evening. They were all ready to get back, but Rihari especially was. She couldn't wait to get back and be able to relax a little. 

Two hours from the outskirts of Haven, they were ambushed by a group of bandits, who wanted their valuables. 

"I'm sorry, my fair men!" Rihari said joyfully, as of they weren't being burglarized. "But we have no valuables to give you." Her smile fell. "Now make way."

The men laughed hardily, they didn't think this small group could fend them off, and the Dalish elf was a laughing stock. Who did she think she was. 

"I think not, elf." The man, assumed to be the leader of the bandits drew his worn sword from its scabbard. A sneer snaked it's way across his face as his comrades followed suit. 

Rihari's hard face softened and lit up in a genuine smile as she pulled the bow over her head and balanced an arrow on the string. "Have it your way." She said as she let loose of the arrow. It whizzed past the leader of the group and struck a bandit with a round grimy face right in the eye socket. 

The man seemed stunned a moment, having expected them to relent. The moment passed and his stun turned to anger. He roared as he charged toward her. She jumped back a step as he reached her, his sword swinging to the ground with a thud, as he nearly lost his balance. He ripped the sword from the ground and raised it back up to hit her, but she was gone. He whirled around. Looking for her everywhere as an arrow struck him in the shoulder. He yelped in surprise, but never got another look at his attacker, as a second arrow struck him in the base of the skull killing him instantly. 

Rihari was no longer smiling. She didn't like killing per sé, but sometimes it was necessary. She simply knew that she would send those that dared stand against her to the grave. To her, it was not an option. If they attacked, they would die, she didn't show mercy. And she never relented until they were dead. 

Solas admired her fighting style. Brutal, merciless, and yet so graceful. She let loose of arrows with such a grace, always hitting where she aimed, making the process look easy. She enjoyed the hunt, which was why she toyed with her prey before killing it, she wanted them to know who had ended their lives. He didn't think that it mattered as long as they ended in death, but could admire her handiwork. 

He watched as she danced around the party, taking down bandits with accuracy. All head shots, killing them instantly. Occasionally, she would send an arrow into a knee or thigh as a person charged towards her or another of their group. 

As quickly as the battle started, it was over. Cassandra flicked the blood from her blade and wiped the back of her hand across her face, smearing the red liquid across her cheeks. 

"Well, they will never take from another." Cassandra said to Rihari as she rejoined the group.

Varric nodded. "Good riddance." He strapped Bianca back to his back as he looked around at the carnage. 

Rihari's face did not lift in a smile as she looked around. Her eyes stopped on the man she assumed had lead the group, she walked over to him and flipped him over. The arrow in his skull held his head at an odd angle as he lay on his back. She reached into his pockets and found an unopened letter.  
It read:  
Father, we love you. Please come back. We have a garden now, we can raise our own food. Mother is worried about you being out during the war, as am I and Allison. I hope this letter catches up to you so you can come back and be safe.  
Love, Armani. 

Rihari closed her eyes, picturing the family. This man had gone out, theiving things from people and selling the goods to merchants so he could buy his family food. Her eyes opened. He should have chosen a different profession, she told herself. 

They made it back to Haven in a few hours time after being attacked. Everyone gathered in the tavern for a drink and to rest.

"..and when she smiled, the men actually looked afraid." Varric was telling a man sitting nearby. If anything Varric Tethras was good at exaggerating. "They didn't even know what hit them when she started hailing arrows down on them. Every shot was a fatal one. She single handedly took down at least 10 of the men. It was amazing." 

Rihari rolled her eyes at his storytelling. She looked over to Cassandra who looked like she would explode if Varric continued to chatter on. The fued between the two was outrageously funny. "Varric, are you saying that she is a better shot than you?" She asked jokingly. Varric just slatted his eyes at her. 

Solas was sipping on a tankard of water as he looked on with muted disinterest. Rihari locked eyes with him, and a smile spread across her face. "Hey, do you want to get out of here?" The corners of his lips twitched into a half smile as he nodded. 

They walked on the outskirts of Haven. It was cold, but the wind did not blow so the cold had less of a bite. She enjoyed the company of Solas. His presence was warm, inviting, and made her feel safe. They made their way down to an old dock overlooking a blue, frozen lake. She sighed at its beauty in the dying light. 

"Why did you stay?" She asked him. 

He chuckled. "Well, if our enemies destroy the world, I would have no where to lay my head as I dream of the Fade." 

She smiled. "That's very true." 

"In truth, I have enjoyed experiencing more of life to find more of the Fade." 

"How so?" She looked over to him. 

He smiled, a genuine smile. "You train to flick a dagger or an arrow to its target. The grace with which you move is a pleasing side benefit." He tried not to inch closer, but caught himself moving a little bit before stopping himself. "You have chosen a path whose steps you do not dislike because it leads to a destination you enjoy. As have I."

"So you're suggesting I'm graceful?" She beamed as she stepped a bit closer. 

Another smile, he knew she would catch that. "No, I am declaring it. It was not a subject for debate."

She didn't hide the blush of her cheeks, or the magnificent smile that spread across her lips. "Hmm." She purred behind her smile. 

"So.. you trust these spirits not to turn on you as soon as you accidentally make a wish?" She was intrigued by his interest in her, but she also wanted to keep the conversation going. 

"Do you trust your friends not to turn on you?" He asked seriously. 

"Well.. yes. But they are people."

Solas smiled a sad smile. "Ah. Of course."

Her brow furrowed. "No. I mean. Well, you know what I mean."

He was intrigued as well. "Are people only people because they are flesh and blood?" He waited for her reply only a beat before continuing. "Is Cassandra defined by her cheekbones and not her faith? Varric by his chest hair and not his wits?" The chest hair joke won him a smile and chuckle from her. He tried to be serious about the matter, but couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips. 

"You have a real interesting way of looking at the world, Solas." She inched closer even, now only about a foot apart. 

He smiled as he inched ever so closer. "I try.. and that isn't quite an answer." 

Her smile lit up the dimly lit world. "I look forward to helping you make new friends." 

"That would be.. well." He said. He watched as she looked away a moment, over the lake, the braid of hair flipping over to the front of her perfectly pointed ear. His hand itched to move it. To be able to touch her skin, if only a moment. 

She looked back with a smile, looking deeply into his eyes. "That isn't quite an answer either." She almost whispered the words, too caught up in the moment to worry about what was being said. He felt his hand moving up to her face, his fingers lightly brushed her cheek as he tucked the stray braided hairs behind her ear. Her breath caught as his fingers touched her skin, but she never took her eyes off of his. 

What am I doing? Solas asked himself. No good can come of this. My plan must be executed. I cannot be with her. 

He dropped his hand to his side. She saw the sudden sadness in his eyes as well, and she wondered what she had done. "What's wrong?" She asked, stepping back from him a few inches. 

His mouth went dry. His brain stumbled for the right words. "I.." No. "I'm sorry, I am just tired from our journeys." What a pitiful excuse, he kicked himself mentally. 

"Oh." Her smile fell from her face and slithered down to the ground. He could imagine it slithering away over the frozen lake, running away from him in an attempt to be rid of the sadness he would bring. "Oh, I see." She looked back over the lake, reflecting the rise of the moon now. "Well, umm. We will talk later then?"

He nodded his head. "Yes. Goodbye" He turned to leave but halted mid stride a few feet away, turning back to look at her from the end of the dock. The cold light of the winter moon glimmering in his eyes and reflecting the confusion in hers. "I'm sorry."


	4. Chapter 4

She thought Val Royeaux was stunning, but she also found it to be quite impractical. The city itself was magnificent, gorgeous buildings and monuments in all sorts of vibrant colors. The people were ugly though. Sure they seemed polite, they put on their masks figuratively and literally. They would sweet talk their way into your pocket, but the cold in their eyes didn't slip by Rihari unnoticed. It made the city as dingy and ugly as the people inhabiting it. 

In a moment of solitude she sighed and shook her head at the idea of it all. The people's of Thedas hatred for the elves, and Dalish especially ran deep, especially here in the Capital of Orlais. The people looked on her as if she were a beetle that needed a good stepping on. The fact that many in the Chantry and at Haven and surrounding areas had named her the Herald of Andraste, only added to the hate. 

Solas saw her shaking her head and canted his head slightly. "What is it?" He whispered loudly as he approached. 

She laughed. "This is ridiculous, yeah?" Heavens, he loved when she said that. When she added that "yeah" on the end of a sentence, making it a question. However, he didn't know what she spoke of so she continued, "this city, the people. It's like a show." He nodded his head in agreement. 

"Well, would you look there." She said walking over to the edge of the upper city, peering over the ledge. "The Chantry sisters have finally arrived." 

"What will you do?" Solas asked. He hadn't thought of it before, but now he was curious of her actions. 

"Ask them to join or die." She looked over at him dramatically, and then laughed, a bubbly laugh that dragged a smile from him. "No. I will try and reason with them, maybe they can see that I am not against them."

"A fine plan." He nodded to her. Her smile was blinding in its beauty. It was hard to not like Rihari. She had a way with words, a way with that pretty smile and those gorgeous blue eyes. His heart squeezed everytime her joyous eyes looked at him, everytime her smile lit up the day with the light of a thousand suns. It was hard to see past her, but he must. 

They made their way back down to the City streets, where they met up with Varric and Cassandra. 

"Thank the Maker!" Cassandra rushed over to Rihari. "I was afraid you would never make it in time. We must hurry." She said excitedly, grabbing her wrist and pulling the Herald up towards the front of the crowd. When the Chantry Sisters saw the blasphemous Herald of Andraste, and that she was indeed a Dalish elf, they scowled deeply. She continued to speak to the people however. 

"Good people of Val Royeaux, hear me." She swept her arms up dramatically as she spoke. "Together we mourn our divine. Her naive and beautiful heart, silenced in treachery!" Here she dropped her hands, and walked forward slowly. Her eyes burned holes into Rihari's face. "You wonder what will become of her murderer. Well, wonder no more!" The woman raised her hand and motioned to where the blasphemous Herald stood. "Behold, the so called Herald of Andraste. Claiming to rise where our beloved fell!" The crowd chattered nervously. People around the Herald began inching away, not wanting to catch whatever evil she possessed. 

The woman's face did not hide her disdain nor her anger towards the Dalish elf. "We say this is a false prophet! No servant of anything beyond her selfish greed." Others in the crowd yelled their agreements with whoops and hollers. 

Rihari stepped forward with a smile on her lips. "Dear Chantry Mothers," She spun and looked into the crowd as well. "Blessed people of Val Royeaux." She turned back to the woman on stage. "We came here in peace, only to talk. And this is what you do? I implore you, let us sit down together and discuss the real threat." Solas was watching the back of her head, staring into that abyss of black hair that he knew held a smile on the other side. He felt his lips pulling into a smile, he cleared his throat to be rid of it. 

"It's true, Blessed Mother, the Inquisition wishes only to end this madness before it is too late." Cassandra stepped up to the plate and gave it a shot, however it was a lost cause. 

"It is already too late!" The woman motioned to the approaching Templars. "The Templars have returned to the Chantry. They will face this 'Inquisition' and the people will be safe once more." As she finished speaking a smile spread across her lips, but it was short lived as a Templar hit her in the back of the head. She fell to the floor of the stage with a cry. The people in the surrounding crowd all gasped and backed away. Rihari stood her ground though, head held high, another thing Solas thought was amazing. Was she not afraid? If she were, he couldn't tell. She was so perfect, he wondered if he was blinded by his infatuation with her. 

One man moved in to help the woman up, but the Lord Seeker stopped him, shoving him back into his place. "Still yourself, she is beneath us." He said it loud enough for everyone to hear, then he turned his beady eyes on Rihari. 

She gave a dry laugh that Solas thought was similar to a hiss from a snake, saying "warning, don't try me, I bite.". "What? Was that supposed to impress me?" The disdain slithering across the man's face was not lost on any of the bystanders. 

"I think not." The man said curtly. "Her claim to authority is an insult. Much like your own." He turned to leave. 

The word snake was what came across Rihari's mind. He was a snake. A vile, prideful lowlife only fit to slither around on its belly.

Cassandra went after him. "Lord Seeker Lucius, it is imperative that we speak with-"

He didn't halt his stride as he spoke. "You will not address me." Cassandra appeared to be taken aback, not expecting this from one of her own. 

"Lord Seeker?" She asked with heavy confusion. 

Lucius turned on his heel, his face flushed red with anger. "Creating a heretical movement, raising up a puppet as Andraste's chosen. You should be ashamed." He turned his reptilian eyes on the crowd. "You should all be ashamed! The Templars failed no one when we left the Chantry to purge the mages." He raised his hand in a dagger point towards the Chantry Sisters. "You are the ones who have failed. You are the ones who'd leash our righteous swords with doubt and fear." He lowered his voice and slatted his eyes at Rihari. "If you came here to appeal to the Chantry, you are too late. The only destiny here that demands respect is mine." 

"That doesn't matter! The breach has to be closed." Rihari told him. She definitely didn't like this guy, but she knew the help was needed. "Templars, join as Commander Cullen did! We need an alliance to help seal the breach."

The man sneered. "Oh, the breach is indeed a threat, but you certainly have no power to do anything about it."

The man that had been conflicted earlier about helping the Chantry Mother approached. "But Lord Seeker, what if she really was sent by the Maker. What if-"

Another man stepped up to him. "You are called to a higher purpose. Do not question it!" The Seeker watched this exchange without a word. 

"I will make the Templar order a power to stand alone against the void." He boasted. "We deserve recognition. Independence!" He leered at Rihari, "You have shown me nothing. And the Inquisition..less than nothing." He turned his attention to his soldiers but kept his eyes on the Inquisition. "Templars, Val Royeaux is unworthy of our protection. We march."

Varric approached from where the crowd had stood, but now was dispersing in a cloud of murmurs and anxious glances. "He's a charming fellow isn't he?"

"Has Lord Seeker Lucius gone mad?" Cassandra asked. "He was always a decent man. Never given to grandstanding. This is odd."

"Well," Rihari said with heavy sarcasm, "It doesn't look like we will be getting any help from the Templars."

"I wouldn't write them off so quickly. There must be those in the order that see what he has become. Either way, we should return to Haven and inform the others."

With the moment passed Rihari tried not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the Lord Seeker. The way he pronunciated his words "In-dee-pen-dance" it really got under her skin. His claims were outrageous, and the soldier hitting the Chantry Mother only pissed Rihari off, sure she didn't like the woman he had swung at, but that didnt change the fact that he had gave the order, and it was unacceptable. She wouldn't engage him, not here, but she wished she could. Her fingers itched to let an arrow fly from the string and straight into his ugly mouth. The idea was morbid, but somehow seemed justified. Something was off about that guy, something she sensed about his aura. 

An arrow crashing into the ground caught their attention. Rihari jumped when it happened, swinging her bow over her head, ready to shoot whoever dared. There was no one. 

"Look, a note." Solas motioned to the arrow. Rihari did not put away her weapon, but walked over and plucked the broken arrow up. She removed the red piece of paper carefully, something about a "Red Jenny" and some instructions on how to find it. She decided to follow up on this tomorrow. Now they needed food and then even more important to her, sleep. 

.....

"Ridiculous!" She yelled at the closed door of their hotel room. "I can't belive elves can only have certain rooms here." Her face was blood red. A stark contrast to her pale skin and dark hair. Solas chuckled softly, and then regretted it when her fiery eyes landed on him. He thought of her lashing out, yelling at him and he couldn't handle the picture it created in his mind. Her lips pulled into a light smile, however, and her face softened before she laughed as well.

"I just think it's silly. We're part of the Inquisition. Why can't we stay with the others?" 

"The people of Orlais are not fond of the elves." Then he smiled at her, "At least, not unless they are serving them food or scrubbing their floors." It was a horrible jab at a joke. It was something of an insult to them both, but they could do nothing on the matter now other than joke, and somehow it felt okay since they were elves themselves.

She snorted. "Right. Well, if they think I'm not gonna wreck this shitty hotel room they'd be wrong. Damn shems." She looked around at the decorations, and two small beds that sat at either side of the far side of the room. She also noticed there was no fireplace. It would be a cold night. 

.....

They tried to sleep in their respective beds with their thin blankets, but eventually she rolled over and sighed loudly. Loud enough that she could be sure that Solas heard. She heard him shifting in his bed, and in the dark she saw him roll over to face her. 

"It's so cold." She whispered to him, breath poofing out from her mouth as steam when she spoke. She couldn't see much, but could almost swear that she saw his ears twitch in a smile. "Couldn't you cast a spell? Warm me up?"

He knew he could. He could call fire to his fingertips and rub them down her body.. he stopped that thought short. "I am afraid not." He heard her scoff. Saw a puff of white billow from her mouth. Was it that cold?

"I know you can cast warming spells. How else would you be able to never wear shoes?" She was still whispering like a child up after bedtime. 

"I can warm myself with the help of fire. But I can't cast fire on your body." 

"Uggghhh." She grunted. Then after a beat she asked, "What can you do?" 

"I am uncertain." He stated quietly. 

"We could scoot the beds together." She shivered as she spoke. The warm air leaving her body felt nice until she sucked in a breath of cold air. "You could cast it then, yeah?" He loved when she said that so much, but he didnt think moving closer was a good idea, his sleepy state made his mind foggy. 

"Please." She whispered. "I can't sleep, it's too cold." 

He sighed. "Okay." 

They moved the beds together into the middle of the room, against the far wall. And squeezed under their respective blankets. It was still cold, though she could feel his warmth radiating off of his body. 

She rolled in his direction. "Will you help me warm up now?" He rolled over as well and looked at her messy hair and groggy face. How could he say no. 

"How about we stack our blankets together. The body heat should then keep us both warm." She nodded, but he could swear he almost saw disappointment in her eyes. 

Under the combined blankets it was very warm. As he drifted off he had time to think. He wanted to touch her so bad, he had wanted to immediately say "yes", scoot the beds together, and rub his hands down her face, onto her perfect waist. He wanted to rub his hands on her thighs and feel her breath stall as he let fire warm her body. He wanted to press his lips onto hers and taste her mouth. He imagined slipping off her leathers, revealing her perfect skin, so smooth. 

In another moment he drifted off to sleep and slipped into the Fade.


	5. Chapter 5

The last week had been treacherous. It seemed to Rihari that they had been all over Thedas by this point. She had met with the First Enchanter, Vivienne. They had met with a strange elf, Sera. Then they had met with a Grey Warden, Blackwall he was called. 

The First Enchanter had been very graceful. She had invited Rihari to a party, where upon arriving a man had attempted to assasinate her. He didn't even get close before being stopped cold in his tracks. Vivienne left the man's fate up to her, but Rihari wanted nothing to do with it. Thus the man was humiliated by the Madame De Fer in front of the Emerald Court. Vivienne was a beautiful woman, fine curves detailed in her tight dress, even for Rihari it was hard not to look at the woman's flawlessness. 

Sera was a curiosity. She had invited the group out to a courtyard. When they arrived all they found were men without breeches. Eventually, they discovered why: Sera. She took the men's pants as a joke. A last insult before they were to meet their deaths. Rihari found that she liked Sera, sure the girl didn't like elves that were "too elfy", and Rihari was exactly that. However, she found Sera's sarcasm and humor enlightening. 

Blackwall was strange. Rihari felt he was hiding something, something dark. That was fine, she welcomed all the help she could get. After all he was a Warden, she thought surely whatever secrets he had couldn't be so bad, lest his wardenship would be taken away. 

Between trips Rihari had spent alot of her time courting the elf, Solas. She had tried her best to seduce him, tried getting him to kiss her or touch her skin. So far to no avail. Even when she had invited him your scoot his bed closer he had hesitated. Once together, she thought surely the mere thought of her lying beside him in her bedclothes would be enough to entice him. He was strong willed, much stronger willed than most men. 

They made it back to Haven in another day by wagon. As usual, Rihari wanted nothing more than to go straight to bed, however she had a meeting with the advisors. She dragged her weary feet to the war room and leaned her palms against the wooden table. 

...

Lying in her bed, she had time to think about the organization she was now growing. It was amazing, all these people bonding together to close the breach. So far she had made some solid alliances. Vivienne held control of the remaining mages loyal to the Circle, and had many relationships with people at Court. Sera of course had friends all over Thedas, the Friends of Red Jenny. They were useful as well. Blackwall was a lone man, however he did have connections to the Wardens, if they could ever be found. 

Now there was this "Iron Bull" and the mercenary group he led called the Chargers. Rihari would be going to meet this man when she could. It would take a few days to travel to the Storm Coast. She decided they would leave in the morning. After all, they needed all the help they could get.

...

The crow in her home squawked loudly, rousing her from sleep. She looked over at the bird with slatted eyes. The bird replied with another dream piercing sqwuak. Rihari put her face into her pillow and groaned loudly before rolling onto her back. 

The sun was just peeking over the mountains. She watched out of the window as the rays of light lit up the breach, it's green sickly glow coming to life with the light of day. For what it was, it was beautiful to look at. In the same way a lion is beautiful she supposed. From a distance it seems peaceful, elegant even. Up close it bares it's teeth and swats it's massive paws at whoever dares.

By the time the sun had risen, she was already at the Tavern. Her stomach growled as she waited on the woman to finish cooking the morning bread. The smell of fresh bread filled the small building, making Rihari's mouth water with anticipation of a warm meal. The men and women present chatted among themselves in morning murmurs, filling the room with life. 

Solas sat down beside her. At least they were friends, she thought. They sought each other out in a group, banded together like old friends. 

"Good morning." He said to her, wiping his eyes of sleep. 

"Morning." Rihari replied curtly. It was too early to be up if anyone asked her. 

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah." She said. Then thought better of it and looked his way with a flirtatious smile and intriguing eyes. "Well, could have been better." She watched as his cheeks blushed. He looked away from her and to the bartender who was retrieving bread from the oven. 

Solas wondered why she was so pushy. He was nothing special. While he thought she was an astonishing creature, he was merely here in a world he didn't belong to. Watching her smile though, he could fall into her. He thought maybe he could deserve her, he could be happy too. Sure he could! Why not?

"It could have." He quipped. Her smile lit up the room, as if the sun itself came down and sat at the bar. His cheeks were still blushed, but he smirked as he saw hers were too. Perhaps they could..

They left after breakfast. Rihari gathered the group, Cassandra, Blackwall, and Solas. They left on horseback. The horses trudged through the snow, lifting their feet high before plopping them knee deep back into the snow. The mounts puffed white steam through their nostrils as they carried on. 

By nightfall they had made it somewhere between the Storm Coast and Haven. There was a small forest there where they chose to make camp. The trees would hold in warmth, in the freezing weather. 

..

Cassandra rolled over toward Rihari as they were trying to sleep. Rihari squinted her eyes at her as Cassandra smiled. 

"So. You care for Solas?" Cassandra whispered, taking care that Solas himself should not hear. 

Rihari smiled shyly before rolling her eyes. "I mean.. I guess." Cassandra rolled her eyes at her nonchalance. "Okay! I do." She whispered loudly. 

"I knew it!" Cassandra plopped onto her back, still smiling with the glee of sharing gossip. "You two have been spending a lot of time together. And the other night on the dock.." she turned to look at Rihari, afraid she had revealed that she knew too much, she had seen them almost kiss. 

"You saw?" She didn't seem embarrassed that someone might have seen them almost kiss. 

"I did."

"He's stupid, yeah?" Rihari snorted. "He should have kissed me." She propped herself on her elbow facing her friend. "I gave him another chance, you know. In Val Royeaux."

"He did not take it, I presume?"

Rihari shook her head. "He wanted to though. I could tell."

"At least he has self control. Perhaps he wishes to court you first." Cassandra replied. 

"Maybe." Rihari laid back down and made herself comfortable. "Let's get some rest." Cassandra rolled over facing the tent wall and closed her eyes. Rihari smiled as she thought of Solas, now the thoughts all renewed and coming to her in a different light.

Rihari loved the chase. If he wanted her to chase him, she would snag him by the tail. He already cared about her. It was really a question of how much at that point. She thought back to his comment that morning. His flirt had not gone unnoticed, he had basically invited her to try it. 

She had to have him. She would have him. Little did she know, she already had him.


	6. Chapter 6

The Iron Bull was what she would describe as bulky. Muscles rippled over his bare chest, and she honestly couldn't help but stare at his horns. He didn't seem to notice. 

Half way through negotiations he took notice and rolled his good eye with a sigh. 

"I'm sorry." Rihari smiled. "Just they look.. can I touch them?"

The Iron Bull looked uninterested, but nonetheless tilted his head down and let her rub her fingers along one. "Oooh, they're bumpy." She said with childlike enthusiasm.

"Now," Bull straightened himself up. "We're a little expensive, but you can afford us, and we're worth it. We can set payment up through your Ambassador, uhh.. what's her name, Josephine?"

Rihari considered a moment. "Alright, Iron Bull. I'd be glad to have the Chargers, they're an impressive group."

"Well, you won't just be getting the boys. You'll be getting me."

..

The Iron Bull was impressive in battle, he swung his war axe with ease. Chopping down armed men like weeds in one's garden. They all travelled together back to Haven. It was only a few days journey by horse, and they ran into little trouble between the two places. 

Back at Haven, Rihari helped Bull and Krem set up a tent beside the stables. She told them they could stay wherever they wished, but Bull had chosen this spot, because he could see for a long way, and he could watch the soldiers being trained. 

After helping them settle in, Rihari bidded them a good evening. She had errands to run. She started for the tavern for a quick bite when one of Leliana's agents approached her. 

"There's a meeting in the war room, ser." The man explained. 

"Oh great." Rihari mumbled. She slumped as she dragged her feet through the snow and to the war room. She was being melodramatic, but meetings were among her least favorite things. 

After the oborently boring meeting, she headed back to the tavern. This time she would be eating, but rather than a snack she needed supper. Her stomach rumbled, and she imagined it quivering in her belly, ready to eat itself if she didn't give it food soon. 

"Rihari!" Solas motioned over to where he sat with Varric. She smiled as she walked over.

"Want some bread, smiley?" Varric asked. Rihari dropped her smile. Varric laughed then looked between the two. "Chuckles and Smiley." Solas's face turned blood red and hid his eyes, understanding that they had been placed as a pair in Varric's mind. 

Rihari smiled as she sat down, punching Varric in the shoulder with playful malice. She snatched a piece of bread and dipped it in the gravy on Solas's plate. She smiled slyly at him as she chewed. 

"So Solas." She rested her arms on the table. "I'd be interested in hearing your opinions on Elven Culture."

"I thought you would be more interested in sharing your opinion on Elven Culture." He canted his head slightly. "You are Dalish, are you not?" 

She squinted her eyes at his sudden attitude. "What's your problem with the Dalish? Allergic to Halla?" She jabbed. 

He frowned, his anger peeking up over its boundary of calm. "They are children acting out stories misheard and repeated wrongly a thousand times."

She sat up straight, suddenly taken aback by his anger. "Oh yeah? But you know the truth right?"

Varric cleared his throat, averting his eyes away from the table and taking a sip of his drink. 

Sure he did. He knew every bit of the truth. "While they pass on stories and mangle details, I walk the Fade." He canted his head again, his eyes hard. "I have seen things they have not." She found his fiery attitude inticing, she wanted to stop his words with her lips when he was worked up. The way his face turned red, his eyes swelled with emotion and thought, she bit her lip. She had to hold herself into place when he spoke passionately about his belief. 

"Ir abelas, hahren. If the Dalish have done you a disservice. I would make that right." Of course his anger was misplaced, and she didn't know why, but couldn't help wanting to know what he knew. "What cause would you set for them that is better than what they know now?"

His face softened. "You are right, of course." He nodded his head in solemn acceptance, of what she didn't know. "The fault is mine.." He almost stopped there but felt that would leave an open end, "for expecting what the Dalish could never truly accomplish. Ir abelas, da'len. If I can offer any understanding, you are but to ask." He truly was sorry for letting anger get the best of him, she didn't know any better and neither did they. At least they were trying. 

"You can, but later, yeah?" She winked, and he flashed a shy smiled. He was ashamed of his behavior prior, she had meant no harm of course. 

"So Varric.." she turned her attention to the dwarf. "Do you even own a normal shirt?" She smiled. Solas laughed around a bite of bread, almost choking on it. 

Varric smiled. "One. But it's only because you found it and I was the only one who could fit." He laughed too. "It's terrible."

She curled her nose. "So is that one," She referred to his red shirt, low cut and showing a mass of chest hair, the sight of it reminded her of the joke Solas had made about his chest hair not defining his wit. 

"What this?" He touched the fabric of his collar. "It's my best shirt!"

"We know." Solas and Rihari said together. 

They spent most of the evening prodding at each other. Passing the time with friendly jabs at each other's pride. Solas laughed so much, his cheeks hurt. It was the first time in a very long time that he had felt happy, that he had felt the bonds of friendship. 

The sun was setting when Solas and Rihari exited the tavern. The rays of the setting sun kissing the mountains, and shining through the twirling Breach. 

"So.." Rihari started as they walked with no clear objective in mind. "About those elves."

"Yes?" He asked, looking over to her as they walked. She was stunningly beautiful. Even the marks of a self proclaimed God on her face were spectacular in how they fit her features. They defined her cheekbones, somehow made her eyes appear brighter. 

"Are all Dalish elves like my Clan?" She asked. 

"No. Your Clan was unique in having enough interest in Human affairs to send you to spy upon the Divine's meeting." They walked on as he spoke. "As your Clans have been separate for so long, they have all changed. Adapting to the lands in which they live." He stole another glance at herl, she was listening intently, watching as he spoke. "Some are no more than bandits, others trade freely with humans. Some disappeared in time with the forests."

They were walking through the woods outside of Haven now. The sunset to their backs, but the sky would be ever lit up with the green of the Breach when it set. 

"I'd like to know more about the elves before our time." She looked at him as she spoke, smiling with the excitement of newfound knowledge. 

He smiled. He knew alot about the elves before the veil. "The Dalish strive to remember Halamshiral. But Halamshiral was but a fumbling attempt to recreate a forgotten land." 

"Arlathan." She stopped in her tracks, facing him. She knew a little bit of history. She'd heard stories of the city, but none knew where it had been or where it had gone. 

Solas smiled with the light of nostalgia. "Elvhenan was the empire, and Arlathan it's greatest city." His voice softened, "A place of magic and beauty, lost to time." 

"So what else do you know of Arlathan?" She asked. Neither of them noticed their bodies moving closer together. 

"We hear stories of them living in trees and imagine wooden ramps and Dalish aravels." She closed her eyes as he spoke picturing the place she would never see. "Imagine instead spires of crystal intertwined into the branches. Palaces floating among the clouds." He could see her trying to imagine it all through her closed eyes. Her face in rest, a smile pulling at her lips as she saw it as what she could. His mouth dried up, a lump in his throat as he looked at her soft face. "Imagine beings that lived forever, to which magic was as natural as breathing. That is what was lost."

Her eyes opened with his words. Her brow firrowed. "It's so sad. I just don't understand what happened. Why did we have to lose that?" They were so close now, inches apart, she had moved towards him as he spoke, his melodic voice drawing her in. 

Solas's eyes reflected his regret, but he held fast to silence. He thought it best she didn't know of the war, of the fall, or of the reason for the loss. 

She searched his eyes for the answer, but there was only sadness there. He wanted to tell her everything, wanted to give her the world in his dreams. The world that had once been reality, but was now rarely even seen in dreams. It reminded him of his purpose here. 

They were standing too close. He started to walk again back towards the walls of Haven. 

"I am sorry that I was angry earlier. It was uncalled for." 

She smiled. "Yeah? That's okay. We all make mistakes." 

"Yes, I suppose we do." Unbeknownst to her, he had made more than his fair share, and his mistakes had been world changing. 

"I guess we'll head to Redcliffe tomorrow." She stated. "We have to meet with Grand Enchanter Fiona about the mages. We've put it off long enough."

Solas nodded. "Yes. With the mages at our side, closing the Breach should not be a problem."

They arrived at her cottage, and she turned back to say goodbye. She looked into his eyes, begging him to notice her. His eyes held a longing to touch her, to tell her he wanted her. To speak out and say anything, but he did not. 

"Well.." Rihari stalled. "I guess I will see you in the morning?" She phrased it as a question. She smiled bashfully with eyebrows raised in question, waiting on him to make a move. Begging him to. 

"Yes." He swallowed hard. His legs itched to move closer. His fingers twitched with thoughts of touching her face, with running his fingers through her black hair as he kissed her soft lips. He shoved his urges down into a crevice of his mind. "Yes," He repeated, "I will see you then." He backed away a few steps before turning away. "Good night, lethallan." He called over his shoulder. 

"Good night." She replied softly. She rolled her eyes and groaned as she closed the door behind her. The crow squawked from its bird cage in the corner, welcoming her back home. 

"Fenedhis, that elf. What's wrong with him, huh?" She asked the bird as she dropped a handful of seed into the cage. The bird didn't reply, of course, now too preoccupied with eating it's supper, and even if it had not been busy filling it's belly, it would not have known what to say. After all, it was a bird and knew little of speaking. 

She removed her clothing. Slipping into her bedclothes, and sliding under the blankets. She snuggled down and stared at the wooden ceiling, rethinking how he had looked at her. She smiled to herself, it was just a matter of time before he couldn't resist. She could feel it.


	7. Chapter 7

The choice was hard, but had to be made. The Inquisition needed help if it were to close the Breach. Rihari thought on it over night. Hardly getting any aleep, an oddity for her. She knew whoever she sided with, mages or templars, could close the Breach, but the other would he a sworn enemy. 

She had met with the Tevinter man in Redcliffe. Dorian Pavus, was charming. His mustache making his face almost animated when he spoke. The things he spoke of made her wonder, could Alexius really time travel? She supposed the point had already been proven. It only strengthened her need to help the mages, this Magister was power hungry. Even if his hunger stemmed from wanting to save his son, it was dangerous. 

She decided to side with the mages. She knew they were a risk, but thought it would be better to have someone who was trained in magic to help her, she always found that magic made her feel safe. It was a valuable gift and a force to be reckoned with. 

With her mind made up she headed to the war room as soon as the sun had rose. Some of the people she passed looked at her wearily, unsure of why she would be up so early. Most knew she was not an early riser, but more importantly they wondered what her decision would be. 

...

They came out on in a damp and flooded place. She wasn't sure how it had came to be, but here they were, in an entirely different place. The cold water pooling into her boots was a shock to her senses, and she winced as the water chilled her feet.

"Where are we?" She turned to Dorian. 

"I think the question is when are we." He replied. 

"Magic is weird." Rihari mumbled under her breath. 

Dorian opened his mouth to say something, but turned his attention to the soldiers headed their way. He tugged his staff from its strap and swung it over his head with swift grace. Rihari done the same, throwing herself into battle. 

"What if we can't get back?" She was panicked.

"Then I guess we get comfortable in our new reality." Dorian replied, replacing his staff on his back. 

They wound through many halls and tunnels, up stairs and across bridges, inevitably they accidently happened upon some holding cells. The people inside were dead mostly, the lyrium having infested their bodies. In the first set of cells holding living bodies an elf man kept singing, clearly gone mad. "Andraste blessed me. Andraste blessed me." He continued to sing even when she waved her hands in front of his face. 

The next cell she found held the Grand Enchanter, her body being devoured by red lyrium.

"Grand Enchanter Fiona? Is that you?"

"It is." She replied. "You're alive.. how?"

"How long has it been? What is the date?" Rihari asked, mostly wondering how things had fallen apart so quickly. Already this woman was being eaten by this rock. It was horrendously terrifying. 

"Harvestmere.. 9:42 Dragon." 

"9:42? Then we've miss an entire year!" Dorian exclaimed. 

Rihari was overwhelmed. Her lungs burned. Not being able to get enough air through her panic. "We have to get out of here. Go back in time."

"Please. Stop this from happening." Fiona pleaded. "Alexius, serves the Elder One. More powerful than the Maker." She coughed hard. "No one.. challenges him and lives."

Rihari almost burst to tears. The scene was horrible. This must never happen. This "Elder One" must be stopped. "I will. That Magister is going to regret not just killing me." She told the woman. 

"Our only hope is the amulet used to send us here. If it still exists.. I can use it to reopen the rift at the exact spot we left." Dorian sighed. "Maybe."

"Good." The woman nodded.

"I said maybe." Dorian fronted. "It might also turn us to paste." His words were smooth, collected, but Rihari found they made her even more panicked. What if they never made it out? What if she ruined the world? 

"You must try. Your spymaster.. Leliana. She is here, find her. Quickly, before the Elder One learns you are here."

Leliana looked like a corpse, and that was putting it lightly. She had been tortured for most of a year, and it showed. Her eyes sunk into her mangled flesh, it appeared to have been burned, and Rihari could only imagine what she had endured. Leliana would not speak of it, and was rather curt in her words, in fact. Even telling Dorian to "stop talking." 

The fact that they had missed the downfall of the world, while she had been tortured and beaten was what made her angry. To them it was not real, a reality they could prevent, but to her it had been real. Every scar on her body served as proof of the reality she had endured. 

In one they found Cassandra however. The moment she saw that braided hair, messy and knotted, growing out from its bindings, but yet was still a key note of who she was. She sat in the middle of her cell, unmoved.

Rihari raised her hands to her mouth. Tears welling up. "No. This cant. This is horrible." She started to back away, suddenly unable to manage her emotions. 

Dorian grabbed her by the shoulders, and looked into her eyes "We can stop this." She believed him. They had to stop this from happening. They had to. 

"I thought you were dead." Cassandra stated as they approached the cell. 

"Not dead, just misplaced in time." She replied.

"Very well. We must stop this." 

The most painful part was when they found Solas. Sure the others had been her friends, and they were important to her, but not in the same way that he was. She grabbed the bars as she walked up. Tears welling behind her eyes. 

He noticed her from the corner of his eye, and for a moment he was certain it was a hallucination, a trick. He saw her disappear, obliterated with a wave of the Magister's hand, she wasn't really there. Yet when he looked her way, she still stood there, hands grasping the bars mouth turned down in a frown. 

"Solas?" 

"You're alive?" 

He felt tears stinging his eyes. He let out a gasp of air he hadn't realized he was holding, as he walked towards her. All this time he had spent alone. At first trying to stay as far from the red lyrium as possible, but eventually seeing that it was corrupting his body despite his efforts he had sat beside it. Most recently it had sung to him, low hums and vibrations that he could feel in his bloodstream. He wasn't sure how long it had been, but he had been in this cell since the day she disappeared into thin air. Yet here she was, unscathed. 

"We saw you die." He marveled

"The spell, Alexius cast displaced us in time. We just got here so to speak." Dorian replied. 

He took a shaky breath. "Can you reverse the process?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You could return and obviate the events of the last year! It may not be too late."

"I'm glad you understood what he just said, because I'm not sure I did." Rihari joked. 

Solas laughed dryly "You would think such understanding would prevent me from making such horrible mistakes. You would be wrong." He looked away a moment remembering the last year and the reason it all came to be, it all started with an ancient elf, so full of pride that he assumed he could handle whatever happened.

"You know nothing of this world. It is far worse than you understand." He furrowed his brow, remembering all the events of the last year, that he had heard from the guards who brought him food and chatted throughout the halls. "Alexius served a master, the Elder One. He reigns now, unchallenged. His minions assassinated Empress Celene, and used the chaos to invade the South. This Elder One commands an army of demons. After you stop Alexius, you must be prepared."

Rihari's mind was spinning, it was alot to take in at one time and some of the things he said were odd, but she didn't have alot of time to consider it at the moment. "I just know that I.. we.. can't do this without you."

He nodded, bringing his red eyes to meet hers. "If there is any hope, anyway to save them, my life is yours." He almost laughed at his confession, he wished things were different. He supposed they would be in real time, if they succeeded. He would die here, but then he could live there. He hoped his foolish self wouldn't make the mistake of not loving this beautiful creature. "This world is an abomination. It must never come to pass." 

..

Dorian plucked the amulet from the dead Magister's body. Demons beat on the outer door, threatening to bust it down. The sound of them slamming their bodies against the hard wood and steel quickened the beat of her heart.

Solas looked to the others as the beating continued. Cassandra nodded to him, understanding what he was thinking. Leliana nodded as well, her face a mask. 

Rihari swallowed hard as she looked at her companions. Cassandra nodded to her, meeting her blue eyes. "I hope you truly do stop this." Rihari just nodded. Unsure of what to say.

The banging continued. Louder now, as more bodies pressed against the outer door. Cassandra said nothing as she joined Leliana half way to the door. 

The hinges creaked on the outer door. Solas walked over to her quickly grabbing her by the arm before she could turn away. "I'm so sorry." He rasped. There was so much he wanted to say to her. He had so much he had wanted to do for her, and for the world. All that was gone now, he was going to die. It was just a question of how, his only wish was that she succeeded.

Her face softened a degree. She grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him into a kiss that she had been dreaming of planting on his perfect lips. She couldn't face possibke death without knowing what his lips felt like. He didn't pull away, he fell into her kiss, it felt as good as he had dreamed it would, it almost took the pain of the infection of red lyrium away, easing his pain a moment. 

The kiss only lasted a moment before he pulled away, his red eyes held a mysterious wonder, full of words he would never say. He turned to leave then, but she grabbed his arm, suddenly not so sure of the plan. Not so sure she shouldn't try to fight the demons off as well. What if they all died in vain and she could not change the world? What if she lost her chance forever?

He looked into her panicked eyes, soft and unaffected by this new blighted world. He smiled softly, thinking of how in another reality, he could kiss those lips a thousand times if he let himself. "Please. Stay." He pulled his arm free of her grasp and joined the others. They all looked at one another, as the door creaked on its hinges.

"We will hold the outside door. Once they get through it will be your turn." Cassandra told Leliana as she and Solas headed out of the door. 

She listened to the fighting from her place, rooted to the concrete floor. She heard the demons screeching, she heard Cassandra yelp in what she could only assume was a dying rasp. Leliana began to pray to the Maker. As the first wave of demons burst through the door. 

First, one hinge popped off, Leliana was already prepared to fight, bow at the ready. Then in an instant the door swung open, and flew away from the jamb. Rihari's muscles tensed, her mind screamed that she go to help as the horde of demons and Venatori overwhelmed the room. A Terror Demon entered, throwing Cassandra's limp body to the floor. She gasped at the sight, her throat burning as she tried to swallow her tears. She searched the mass for Solas, looking frantically until she saw his lifeless body in the other room. Being pulverized under the feet of an army. 

Her legs started to move, to fight, but Dorian grabbed her and yanked her back into place. 

"Be still!" Dorian yelled. "You move and we all die." 

She bit down on her cheek hard, her eyes never leaving the elf's lifeless body. Her legs ached to move, she almost did move again, but Dorian grabbed her, and they warped through time, right back to the exact moment they had disappeared, no more than mere seconds later. 

The surprise on Alexius face was rather funny to Rihari. And despite being shaken up by the event, she laughed. Then she looked around her, saw all of her friends there. They were alive. Her smile fell. Had Alexius succeeded they would all be dead. They would have all suffered through horrendous torture. 

She turned her hard eyes on the Magister. He would have had them all killed to save Felix, his son. His efforts would have been for naught, Felix would have died anyways. She could not think of a punishment good enough for this man.


	8. Redcliffe (Solas POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not critical for the story, but is a tie in. I just wanted to write it.

She had just disappeared, it was horrifying. He looked at the spot she had once stood, dumbfounded. The Magister simply waved his hand and they were just gone. Poof. Then Alexius had turned his cold eyes on he and Cassandra. Ever since then, they had been locked in these cells. Awaiting death, as a sweet release. 

The cell had been empty at first, and he had paced the length of it for hours. He shook at the bars, he cried out in frustration. At one time, he could have just broken the bars with his will. He could have made the guards open the doors. That time was gone, now he was caught. Weak and hungry, he was imprisoned. 

Cassandra did the same. He could hear her slamming her body against the cold Iron bars. Grunting as she only damaged her body. He had attempted to burn through the bars, but could not bring fire to get hot enough. They gave up eventually, the bars were not made to be broken. 

In the first month, he and Cassandra had spoke oftenly. Comforting each other in this time of solitude. They had spoken of all they knew. She had told him of her faith, of the Seekers, of the way she grew up. He had told her of the Fade, of his dreams, and of his life. He had even considered telling her of his true identity, but it would do her little good to know.

Eventually, he felt the presence of Red Lyrium. It prevented his entrance to the Fade, the only release from this hell he had gotten before the infection. It prevented him from sleeping much at all in fact, and he sat on the hard floor as far away from where he seen the cracks in the floor, a tale tell sign of the lyrium breaking through. 

It did little to help, he stayed as far from it as possible for a long time, but eventually he had decided it would be better to die sooner rather than later. The guards only came every other day with food. Throwing it through the bars and to the ground. At first, Solas had refused to eat the moldy bread and cold soup that splattered to the floor. He had been defiant, now he relished the moment they would throw rotten food into his cell. Sometimes he cried as he ate, wishing he would not have made such a mistake. A mistake that cost every life. He had wanted to save them, but instead had brought them more misery than they had already.  

He had listened carefully to what the guards spoke of, making sure to soak it all in. The Empress of Orlais was assasinated, chaos spread across Thedas turning the people against one another. Inevitably, the Elder One took over, he ripped open the Fade and destroyed the world. 

He felt personally responsible for the events that had come to pass. If he had not been so full of pride and foolishness, he would not have given the orb to the Elder One. He had been sure the blast would kill the Magister, but it had not. Now he sat in his cell, awaiting death silently, a punishment for his many mistakes. 

Mistakes he had been making his entire life, for a millennia. He had wasted his life aspiring to be more. As a child he had shucked his duties, he had caused trouble in the village. The elves there calling him a little Harrellan, a rebel, a trouble maker. When he wasn't causing trouble he slept in the Fade. His mother had tried to get him into the real world, but he never became a farmer. Eventually, she gave up on him being a farmer. 

His father had talked him into working with the alchemist, making potions and tonics. Solas had agreed, and there he had learned the magics well. The alchemist often asked him to use fire to warm the pot for potion mixing. He also learned healing magic from the old man, when injured farmers had wondered in, having cut themselves or something of the like. 

Solas eventually grew weary of that life, however, and he wanted more. He wanted more of the Fade and more power of magic. He had ventured out, finding others who wanted the same. 

He had became an Evanuris, a God to the people. He became Fen'Harel. They had worshipped the ground he walked on, and he had accepted their worship for a very long time. He had been cocky, full of pride and of himself, he had taken whatever he wanted from the people. He had used the people, mistreated the people, scared them even.

As he grew older, he began to notice the wrongs he had done. He had attempted to set them right, befriending his servants and servants of the other Evanuris. He had stripped the vallaslin from their faces, freeing them from their service, offering them solace in his many castles. 

He had taken them to war against the Gods. He had rode along side peasants and serving men into battle. And he had watched many of them die. The war he led them to was untimely and they were not ready, but again Solas had been over confident. It was his downfall. 

With the war lost, and Mythal murdered, he had lead the Evanuris into the Fade. There, the great Fen'Harel lived up to his name, he locked them away in the Black City, and put up the veil to ensure they stayed there. 

It was his ultimate mistake. He had lived a very long time, and he had made far too many mistakes for one man. 

......

He thought of Rihari a lot. She had been a shining star, a beautiful light in his life, and she had been obliterated. Everything he loved had died, if not before the veil he had made sure afterwards. Did he love her? He supposed he did, she was most of what he thought of in his time. 

He thought of how he should have kissed her all those times, of how he should have reached out and touched her in Val Royeaux. He dreamed of touching her soft skin, when his eyes could close. He thought of how their life could have been together. They could have bonded together, started a life. He could have forgotten all of this foolishness and had a family.

He thought of her pregnant, carrying his child. The skin of her round stomach moving as the child wiggled to his touch. The way her skin would glow, her smiling face as she spoke of the future. They would pick out names for their child as he cut down corn from the field, or as she served supper. 

He smiled at the thought of children running around his legs, smiling with their bright blue eyes and bubbling with laughter, braided black hair bouncing on their shoulders. He imagined himself happy, laughing and chasing his children around as they screamed and giggled. He imagined Rihari standing in the door way, smiling with her hands on her hips, her beautiful smile lighting up the day and making the bird songs even more melodic. 

A reality that could never be. He would die here, alone in this cell. His body would eventually be devoured by the lyrium, he could already feel it in his veins, singing to him. His eyes burned as well, a sign that the lyrium was already inside of him. He hadn't spoken in a long time, but he imagined his voice would rasp.

If he weren't to die from lyrium, he wondered how long he would sit there. How long before someone ended his misery. Technically, he could be there forever. He didn't age like the others. That thought was terrifying. He imagined living his life here for an eternity, slowly going mad with solitude and the infection of red lyrium, but never dying. Luckily, he knew he would die of the infection. 

When he first saw that gorgeous girl from his thoughts in the corner of his eye, he had thought it was a hallucination. A trick of his tired mind. When he turned to look, however, she stood there still, tears in her eyes. His breath hitched in his chest. She was alive? No. He shook his head. "It's you?" His mouth hung agape as she nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek, crossing the marks of Dirthamen. 

....

The taste of her lips lingered on his as he walked away. He had not expected her to kiss him, but he had been glad of it. The last year had been hell, and he had imagined her lips against his more times than he could count. In his imagination it had never felt that good, never been so soft and tender. Never been so loving.

He was terrified to die. It had never crossed his kind before, but now he knew he would die. If not for a cause, it would have been in that cell. His belly growled as he stood his ground beside Cassandra, ready for the wave of demons that would bust down the door. 

"Will this work?" She asked him as she raised her shield. 

"I am uncertain, but I hope."

She nodded her reply. The door squealed on its hinges before it burst open. Cassandra rushed the wave of demons and men, yelling triumphantly, even as she met her death. Solas stood his ground, swinging his staff with his weary arms. Eventually, his swings became slower, his breaths labored. He dropped to his knees as a arrow struck him in the chest. He breathed deeply, blood filling his lungs as he did. 

He sputtered as he fell to the ground, blood bubbling up between his lips. The army of the dead and the living trampled over his body. He was alive when he fell, but the crushing weight if their feet killed what was left of him. He felt no pain as his body was trampled over. He did, however, feel his soul slipping into the abyss. His last thought was of Rihari's lips on his, and of how he hoped he was not foolish enough to not love her in life on the other side. Then he slipped away from the world and into the Fade, a small smile on his lips as the glint of life left his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

NSFW

Had it been any other way, Rihari would have not even thought of the kiss in a future she hoped never came to be. She had done it, she had kissed him and he had returned it. That thought made her smile, if he cared then, he must care now. She rolled over in her bed, biting her lip. The shadow of night had long since delved her room into darkness.

She imagined it was a little after midnight, but she hadn't slept a wink. Instead she had laid awake thinking of what she had to do to prevent the future she had seen in Redcliffe. She knew the Empress's assassination was a key turning point, and she knew it had to be prevented. The Inquisition wasn't supported by very many, however, and had little recognition in Orlais. 

Mostly though, she thought of Solas's lips on hers. His lips had been chapped, but she had never felt so exhilarated. She couldn't wait to do it again, to have the chance to press her lips against his and maybe take it further than that. Maybe she'd slip her tongue past his lips, or maybe her hands would find their way to his body. 

Maybe his hands would find their way to her body. She closed her eyes against the thought of his hands rubbing down her arms as he kissed her. She bit her lip as she thought of things she wanted from him. His breaths coming in little gasps as he kissed her, maybe he'd run one of his hands through her hair, and pull her body close with the other. Maybe his tongue would slip past her lips and dance against her own. Perhaps his hands would slide down her body, and slip under her shirt, up her bare belly. 

She moaned as she moved her hands the way she imagined him doing. She rubbed her hands up to her breasts and squeezed them lightly. She imagined him moving his hands back down her body, and her own hands followed suit. She slipped her hands down her underwear, pushing them down her thighs as she sighed in imagined pleasure. 

She rubbed her fingers delicately over her womanhood, teasing herself before slipping a finger between the folds. She rubbed her fingers softly up and down her outermost parts, stimulating her most sensitive areas. She arched her back slightly at the sensation. A moan skittered past her lips quietly as she slipped one of her fingers into her body. She imagined that it was not her own, but eventually the fantasy wore off and she halted her motions. She continued to lay with her eyes closed, her body naked, with her hands folded across her stomach, until she drifted off to sleep. 

Morning came too early for Rihari. Her house companion cawed sometime after sunrise, and roused her from sleep. She groaned at the sun peeking through the window and then glared over to the bird. 

"Damn you." She said to the animal. "I'm not ready to get up." She rolled over in bed, forcing her face away from the light and towards the wall. The bird sqwuaked again, to remind her of the time. "Fine. Fenedhis" She mumbled as she slipped to the floor in a groggy haze. 

She threw on her armor quickly, and headed out of the door. She grabbed a handful of berries off of the traders wagon as she walked by. The Breach had to be closed and today she had to prepare for the task. 

She popped another berry into her mouth as she approached the area where the mages were being trained by Cullen and Fiona. Solas stood nearby as well, supervising and occasionally adjusting a mage's grip or correcting their stance. Their eyes found each other, and Rihari's face grew hot with the memory of her actions the night before. 

"So Cullen," she approached the former Templar. "How are they?"

Cullen didn't look in her direction as he spoke, "As well as they can be." She knew he would have rather she sided with the Templars, but it had been her choice. 

"Good." She replied. She swallowed down the last of the berries and then chased it with a sip of water from her canteen. "Let's get started then, yeah?"

The Commander nodded. "Listen up!" The mages halted their training and looked in his direction. "We need to hone your focus. If we are to close the Breach, we'll need a lot of magic and focus poured into that mark." He nodded towards the Inquisitor, referring to her hand. She nodded her head vigorously and held up the marked hand with a smile. 

...

They finally took a break for lunch time. They were sitting in the tavern, where they spent alot of time together. Solas slurped his soup slowly, making sure not to burn his tongue. Rihari nibbled at a rabbit leg and drinked water like a horse. 

"You know, I saw you in the future at Redcliffe." She said to him around a bite of meat. 

He propped his spoon against the lip of his bowl. He looked at her curiously, "What of it?"

"You were dying." She said sadly. "But you gave up your life for me." 

"Did I?" He smiled slightly. "I suppose I would in those circumstances." 

She smiled at him, but her face turned red remembering the kiss. She decided that she wouldn't mention that to him. "It seemed like you cared for me." She looked into his eyes, searching for the same caring he had shown then. It was there, but not as strong. 

He swallowed hard, unsure what to say. "I do." His eyes held hers steadily, his cheeks blushed red as he watched a smile spread across her lips. 

"The mages are doing well, yeah?" She changed the subject. Taking another bite of rabbit. She wanted to kiss him, wanted to pull him close and bite into that twitchy smile of his. She resisted, this was not the right time. 

"Indeed." Solas nodded as he picked up his spoon and slurped some more soup. "They are improving." He watched as she swallowed, the perfect curve of her neck bobbing with the reflex. He was amused by the curve of her jaw, and the spot where her jaw connected to her perfectly pointed ears. There was a small nick on the length of her ear, the only scar on her body he had seen. 

He wanted to touch her, wanted to run his fingers up the length of her ear and bite the tip. He wanted to kiss that spot where jaw met ear in a perfect harmony. His wants, were not his needs, and he held himself back. 

He wanted to touch her in many pleasing ways, but it was too soon. Too soon? He reminded himself it would never be the right time. However, every time he looked her direction, every time she smiled that smile that lit up the world, every time she spoke, he forgot that he shouldn't fall in love with her. He forgot it because he was already in love with her. Undeniably, in love with her, and there was no force that could keep that love at bay.


	10. Chapter 10

A few years earlier...

"Felaern, you seen how she looked at you?" Rihari asked her brother, as they stepped through the forest's foliage carefully. "She was giving you the eyes."

The tall and lanky elf snorted, half pleased. "She is the Second, Rihari." His long hair was pulled back in a half braid, that swooshed along his back as he walked. 

"What of it?" Rihari glanced back at him with a smile. "She still noticed you, yeah?"

Felaern nodded softly, thinking of how the woman had looked at him the night before as they ate supper. She had kept careful eyes on him as he spoke. Even more interesting, she had smiled when he had danced with the other Clan members around the fire.  

Rihari stopped in her tracks. She nodded towards a small clearing in the trees where a ram munched happily on grass and roots. She raised her bow quietly, and swiftly balanced an arrow on the string. She breathed in slowly as she pulled back the string, ready to fire. 

The ram suddenly jumped, then bounded away from the clearing. Rihari sighed as she loosened her grip on the string. She followed her brother down to where the animal had been, then followed him as he tracked the beast. Their travels led them to a small brook. 

Felaern groaned, "Fenedhis." He looked to the other side of the brook to see if the ground may have been disturbed there but there were no tracks. The ram could be anywhere. He crouched beside the brook and took a sip of the fresh water. "There are fish here. We could cast for some?" He looked up to Rihari, she nodded and pulled out some netting.

Rihari didn't like to fish, it was boring. She preferred the hunt. The thrill of the chase, and the sound the arrow made as it flung from the string of her bow, were among her favorite things. Nonetheless, she sat beside her brother on the ground as they waited for fish to swim into their net. 

"Did you see Lenna this morning?" 

Rihari snorted. "Why she thinks a dress is appropriate for gathering is lost on me." 

Felaern shook his head in agreement, his blue eyes focused on the netting and the two fish caught there. "She will have it torn by this evening, I know it."

They referred to their younger sister. Lenna, was a curiosity to them both. The girl was fair skinned, and had golden brown hair. Her green eyes always shone with ladylike pride, when her parents said they were pleased with her. Rihari had never been as pleasant as Lenna, and she resented her for being so perfect. Though she didn't like her younger, she loved her nonetheless. 

Rihari was lost in thought, thinking of the hunt that would take place the next week. She was still an apprentice, but her mentor and brother, had decided she was ready to become her own hunter. She wasn't so sure, hunting down a wolf seemed wrong since she had grown up beside one, and killing a bear seemed impossible. She still wasn't sure what she would do. 

She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Taking in the soft sounds of the forest. The branches creaked as the wind blew through their leaves, whispering serenity to her. Birds sung each other beautiful songs, as the brook babbled softly. She breathed again, taking in the smells of the forest. The soft green grass was overtaken by the smell of dirt and damp wood, the trees wet from a spring shower the day before. The smell of elfroot wafted through the air, mingling with the smell of the brook, fresh and cool. 

There was another smell, it smelled like burning wood. Her eyes popped open. A fire. "Do you smell that?" 

The elf sniffed the air, his eyes closed. "Smoke?"

Rihari scrambled to her feet and looked into the sky. There she saw smoke, towers of billowing black smoke coiled into the sky. She gasped, taken aback by the sight. Her instincts kicked in, and she began to run for the smoke. 

Felaern scrambled after her, trying to keep up, sweat beaded on his forehead and slipped down his face, crossing over the blue marks of June's vallaslin. "Rihari!" He called after her, she was in a panic. He ran on "Rihari, wait!" He was afraid she would run into a trap. His legs pumped harder as he tried to catch up. His long legs taking strides and bounding over fallen logs as he ran. 

Rihari could see the smoke through the trees ahead, and she ran faster. Her lungs burned with the exertion, but she didn't stop. She flew from the trees and into the camp. Aravels were up in flames, filling the air with black tendrils of smoke. 

A group of bandits were locked in battle with the Keeper, First, and Second. Rihari was caught of gaurd, they had never been attacked before. She stood there, her mind muddled for a moment. A man with a dirty beard and round belly noticed her and ran towards her. For a moment, her mind didn't register what was happening. Before the man could tackle her, an arrow whizzed past her shoulder, striking the bandit in the chest. 

He tried to cry out, but only coughed as he fell to the ground. Blood bloomed under the body as he wheezed for air that would no longer come. Rihari's attention snapped to reality, and she swung the bow over her head, loading it with an arrow. 

She shot down two of the five men, right through the eye. They had collapsed to the ground like a worn out rag doll, as soon as the arrow hit them. The elves didn't make it away unscathed, however. The First had been badly injured during the battle, having been burned by the same torch used to light the aravels. 

The First survived, scarred and with bruised pride, but he lived. There were a few other injured, a small woman had been assaulted, a child broke two fingers. A few other hunters had came from the woods and joined the battle. Some had died there, trying to defend the others. 

Felaern still pushed Rihari to do the hunt, despite the tragedy. She killed a large black bear, skinned the beast, and brought the pelt and edible meat and fats back to camp. Then she had chosen to get the vallaslin of Dirthamen, the Keeper of Secrets, for none other reason than she thought the others were not as attractive. Rihari had never been particularly religious. She just wasn't sure that she believed in everything the stories told, some of it was just too far out there. 

She was respectful of the beliefs of others, and she still showed respect at the shrines of the Gods, but she wasn't sure how true it all was. More often than not, she showed the shrine respect, just in case the Gods were real. 

....

In truth, Solas reminded her of herself and of her brother, she could almost see the apostate with a braid down his back, dressed in leathers, ready for battle. She could almost imagine him telling jokes and scoffing when she retorted them. She was drawn to the elf because of his similarities, his differences, his mystique. She was drawn to him because he was a curiosity, a wild card. Mostly, she was drawn to him because he was warm. He was calm and collected, always making calculated decisions rather than rash ones. Just like Felaern, he was someone she looked up to for these attributes. 

He spoke now of the Breach, but all she could think of was her family, her Clan. How were they? She prayed there were no more attacks, but doubted that could be true. The rifts were opening everywhere, they didn't discriminate. 

She was lost in his eyes as he spoke, they lit up with mysticism as the words tumbled gracefully off of his tongue. His soothing voice forced thoughts of her Clan from her mind. She tried to focus on his words, but she could not understand them through the mess that was her mind. She could not hear the syllables correctly through the fluttering beat of her heart.

The next day, she would have to close the Breach. Solas was speaking to her of it, how she should focus her mind, how she should channel her thoughts, and telling her how the mages would help. She wasn't hearing any of it, too lost in him and her mind to pay attention. He knew it was so, yet he continued to talk, fascinated with the way she was looking at him. Her eyes full of longing and something else, a strong feeling. In that moment he wanted to stay in her gaze forever.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning Cassandra beat on the door roughly, rousing Rihari from her dreams of home. She thought it was funny that while within the Clan she had dreamed of the outside world, wondered what the cities were like and such. Now that she was living where she had wondered about so fondly, she dreamed of being back in the safety of her Clan. 

She dreamed of calm mornings spent in the woods, hunting for what they might eat later that day. She dreamed of she and Felaern walking tender footed through the dense forest. She dreamed of watching the youngsters learn to use a bow, or watching as the Second flirted unceremoniously with her brother. She had caught them almost kissing once and had accidently interrupted by tripping through a bush. Of course she had been spying. 

She groaned as she dragged her legs out from under the blanket and to the cold wood floor. Her housing companion sqwuaked loudly as Cassandra knocked on the door. Rihari didn't bother to put on clothes before she unlocked the door and swung it wide. 

"Please stop." She said, still rubbing sleep from her eyes. 

"By the Maker." Cassandra turned blood red as she pushed Rihari back inside, shutting the door behind her, and briefly glancing to be sure no one saw the Herald in her underclothes. Cassandra turned her back on the half naked elf. Rihari rolled her eyes at the Seeker's back.

Rihari yawned and stretched, before heading to the chair where her armor had been thrown the night before. She slipped the leathers on without a peep, then sat in the chair to lace her boots up. 

"Why did you wake me up so early?" Rihari grumbled sleepily, taking in the hour of day by the placement of the sun. It was barely peeking over the mountains, it was right after dawn Rihari decided. 

"We must close the Breach." Cassandra said. Finally turning back to look, hoping that she would be dressed properly this time. "Today."

She laced her boots up carefully, the strings getting shorter as the leather of the boot molded to her calf. "Yeah?" She looked up to meet Cassandra's eyes. "It couldn't wait until after lunch?"

Cassandra grunted at her friend. "No." She said with an eye roll. 

After lacing her boots and running a hand through her tangled hair, Rihari followed Cassandra out of the walls of Haven, and onto the path to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. 

The biting cold, and snow that found its way into her boots, despite the tight laces, helped to wake Rihari up. She munched small pieces of dried meat that was packed into her pocket, as they walked on. 

"What was it like growing up Dalish?" Cassandra asked as they walked.

Rihari smiled around a bite of jerky. "It was great." She considered a moment, remembering the attack. "Most of the time."

Cassandra stole a glance at her. "Did it hurt? The face markings I mean."

"Yes." Rihari replied solemnly. And it had, it had hurt a lot. Mostly because Rihari hated standing still, and it required she stand still for hours. Also because she didn't like pain in the least. Well, at least not unless it came with pleasure. 

"Is it true you can only have three mages in a Clan?" 

"Yes."

"What happens to new mages?" Cassandra asked.

"They have to find another Clan, or they are on their own." Rihari said solemnly. 

Cassandra seemed to consider this awhile, but said nothing else before they arrived at the Temple. 

....

Closing the Breach had been simple, but had left her completely drained of power. She collapsed after having closed the large rift, only to awake late that evening to the sound of laughter and music. She sat up slowly, and padded to the window to see out. The Breach was sealed and people were dancing about town. The town bard was playing a jolly tune while one man beat on some drums, she could hear that much. 

She slipped on her boots and laced them quickly, then walked outside to join the party. Varric and Solas stood and watched as Sera danced around, drunkenly. 

"Hey there, Smiley." Varric greeted. "Have a nice nap?" 

Rihari huffed. "I always have a nice nap." 

Varric chuckled. "Good job closing the Breach." He looked to the sky. "Enjoy the party. I know I'm going to." He winked before wandering away, leaving the two elves alone.

"I am surprised by how easily you closed the Breach." Solas stated. 

"Are you?" She smirked. "It wasn't too easy. It knocked me out."

"I know" He smiled. "I watched after you when we returned. To make sure you were well."

She smiled and bumped his shoulder with her own. "And I am." 

"I am glad of it." He nodded. 

Rihari tried to hide her blush, "You want to come to my cottage after this?"

He blushed at her request, clearly taking it in the wrong context, and she wouldn't deny that she hoped they might kiss, but she had meant it as a friendly gesture, to use as a way of learning more about the ancient elves. 

"I don't think-"

Rihari looked at him confused as he spoke then noticed how it sounded. "Oh no, I didn't mean it like that!" She punched his arm good naturedly. Admittably, she would gladly have him in the sense he had originally thought she meant, but she wasn't at that moment thinking on those terms. 

"Oh, of course." His ears turned painfully red and she giggled. 

"I meant just to talk." She grinned as she flicked the tip of his ear with her finger. Letting him know she had seen his blush. 

He opened his mouth to say something, but there was a beating on the doors to Haven, as Cullen flew from the Chantry, with Josephine hot on his heels. 

They followed them down to the doors and Cullen slung them open, revealing a young man in an oversized hat, covered in blood and sliding a demon from his dagger. 

"They're coming." The blood covered boy told them. 

"Who?" Asked Josephine.

"An army," the boy wrapped his arms around himself, "The Elder One. He's angry. Coming for you." He nodded towards Rihari. 

"An army?" Josephine looked over the mountains, the first signs of an army peeking over the top. "Under what banner?"

Cullen lowered his binoculars. "None."


	12. Chapter 12

She was woken by the sounds of bickering voices. She opened her eyes carefully, groaning at her grogginess. Climbing the mountain had been difficult, more difficult than fighting the Templars under Corypheus's command. She sat up slowly, stretching out the muscles in her back, strained from the hard surface she slept on. Mother Giselle sat beside her, ever vigilant. The old woman's soft eyes landed on Rihari as she roused from sleep. 

"Shh." She smiled softly. "You need rest." 

Rihari shook her head. "They've been at it for hours."

"They have that luxury now, thanks to you." Another soft smile, a motherly smile Rihari thought. "The enemy could not follow, and with time to doubt we turn to blame." She looked away sadly. "Infighting may threaten as much as this Corypheus."

"If they're discussing our next move, I should join them." Rihari said.

"Another angry voice will not help. Maybe especially not yours." She smiled again, very softly. "Our leaders struggle because of what we survivors witnessed. We saw our defenders stand, and fall. And now we have seen her return."

Rihari tried to hide her wince as she sat up straighter. 

"The more our enemy is beyond us, the more miraculous your actions appear. And the more our trials seem ordained." They both sat in silence a few moments. "That is hard to accept, no? What we have been called to endure, what we perhaps must come to believe."

Rihari looked at the woman and smiled softly. "Mother Giselle, I just don't see how what I believe matters. Corypheus is a real, physical threat, we can't match that with hope alone." She stood to walk away, to join her friends, but stopped short. Unsure exactly what she would say or do. 

Mother Giselle walked up beside her carefully and began to sing. As the woman sang, more and more people joined in. They came to a semi-circle in front of Rihari, then some got down on their knees before her, other raised their faces to the heavens. As they sang she searched the crowd, nervous. Her eyes caught Solas, his head was cocked curiously at the spectacle. 

"An army needs more than an enemy, it needs a cause." Mother Giselle stated as she walked away. 

Once the singing had stopped, people began to cheer and dance, refilled with hope and with purpose. Solas walked over quickly and stopped beside her. 

"A word?" He walked away swiftly. Rihari furrowed her brow, but followed him nonetheless. They approached an area overlooking a valley. He strutted pridefully forwards, lighting the torch there with a gesture. Blue flames sprung to life, and she huddled closer to them, gathering the warmth. 

Solas stood tall, his hands behind his back. A thoughtful look spread across his face. "The humans have not raised one of our people so high for ages beyond counting." He looked at Rihari with a smile. "Faith is hard won, lethallan, worthy of pride.. save one detail. The threat Corypheus weilds? The orb he carried? It is ours."

"What?" Rihari marveled. 

"Corypheus used the orb to open the breach. Unlocking the power must have caused the explosion that destroyed the Conclave." He examined her face carefully, the blue flames casting shadows across her tired face, yet he still found her beautiful. "We must find out how he survived... and we must prepare for their reaction when they discover the orb is of our people."

"Alright." She cleared her throat, taken aback by the confession. "What is it and how do you know about it? 

"Such things were foci, said to channel power from the Elven Gods. Some were dedicated to a certain member of the Pantheon." He smiled sadly. "All that remains are references in ruins, and faint visions of memories in the Fade, echoes of a dead empire." He looked into the flames, considering something. "But however Corypheus came to it, the orb is elven, and with it he threatens the heart of human faith."

"Up here, lost in the mountains, that's not going to matter much." 

Solas chuckled softly. "No. It won't. Luckily, I know of a place." 

"A place, yeah? Hopefully a nice, warm one." She replied, daring to inch closer to the flames. 

He smiled again, though he tried to hide it. 

"By attacking the Inquisition. Corypheus has changed it, changed you." Solas nodded toward something unseen in the distance. "Scout to the north, be their guide. There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a place where the Inquisition can build.. grow. It is called Skyhold." 

"Skyhold? Alright, we'll leave first thing in the morning." She replied. 

"Good. It will be easy to find, so long as you stay heading due north." 

She smiled in his direction, the way the fire lit his face reminded her of when they had first met, the glow of the rift bouncing off of his skin. Suddenly, she rembered the kiss she had gave him in an alternate world. She had to remind herself that, it had never happened in this time. That didnt stop her from speaking, however. 

"In Redcliffe, in the future," He looked at her thoughtfully as she spoke, his eyes drifting to her lips as the words spilled out, he barely even heard what came next. "I was upset to see you dying, and I was afraid I would never make it back, but I.." Her ears turned red hot. "umm, I kissed you." 

He was still glancing at her features, his eyes switching between glancing at her blue eyes, reflecting the bright flame, and her plump lips. The words finally registered and he cleared his throat, unsure what to say, so he chose to say nothing. 

Rihari met his eyes steadily. "You seemed to like it." His face turned as red as her ears. He looked away quickly, to hide his blush. Admittably, he would have liked it very much, but it was not good timing now. Actually, he thought, it was not good timing ever. He thought she deserved a good life, and the path he followed would bring only sadness.  

"Well, we should head back. You need rest." He said. Throwing his gaurd up suddenly caused a frown to cross Rihari's face, and he hated seeing it. 

"Yeah, okay." She mumbled. They walked a little too close on their way back, her shoulder occasionally bumped his, and his hand occasionally touched her own. 

Everytime their skin touched, she felt sparks fly. She was falling in love quickly. A downward spiral that would ultimately lead to her blindness, of the situation. Perhaps she was latest in love with him, though she couldn't be sure. 

Undeniably, he was in love with her. He had already fell face first into her bright smile. He had fell in love with her cheerfulness, with the light in her eyes, with her constant thirst for knowledge. He had completely and utterly, fell for her and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Though he would try to hold back, his reserve would ultimately fail him.


	13. Chapter 13

Rihari shone like the sun. She stood on the stairs to Skyhold, her smile lighting up the world as she accepted the role of Inquisitor with gusto. Solas watched from below, smiling as well as he silently approved of her decision. Everyone was clapping and cheering. They had a new cause, and a new leader. Morale was high, despite the loss of Haven. Corypheus must be stopped, that much everyone knew, and overall that's what drove them. 

After the brief speech, Rihari and her advisors went inside the castle to discuss what they would do next. It was a mess, but Rihari was confident that they could get it cleaned up. She was overly excited to get all the meetings over with so she could go see Solas, and when she was excused she rushed to find him. She found him in the Courtyard, watching as Cole helped wounded soldiers. She walked up and stood beside him. 

"Congratulations." He said with a small smile. 

"Thank you." She smiled too, his congratulation brightened her already sunny mood. 

"What will you do next?" He asked, turning to look at her. 

She considered a moment, "Kick Corypheus's ass, yeah?" She smiled brightly as the thought of putting the monster out of his misery. "That's all there is left to do."

He nodded solemnly, and turned his attention back to the spirit of Compassion. She watched another moment before she turned to go.

"Where are you going, Inquisitor?" Solas asked after her. 

"To get a drink, duh." She said playfully. 

Solas smiled softly before following her. "Me too."

.....

The Inquisition had been at Skyhold a few days. Rihari had spoken with everyone a few times, they all seemed to be settling in well. She had met Hawke on the ramparts, and had spent most of the present day planning a trip to find the Warden. 

Now she spoke with Solas about Corypheus, she was barely hearing him as he spoke, she was too focused on the way his lips moved as they formed words. 

"I'd like to know more about you Solas." Rihari sat on the edge of his desk as they spoke. Her smiling face was impossible to say "no" to, so he nodded. 

"Okay, but maybe somewhere a bit more interesting."

"Please." She replied playfully pleading.  
...

They walked slowly up the steps to a now empty Haven.

"Why here?" She asked.

"Haven is familiar. It will always be important to you." He replied. He led them into the Chantry, and to the holding cells where she had first woken up. 

"I sat beside you while you slept, studying the anchor."

"How long could it take to look at a mark?" She smiled playfully.

He returned her smile softly. "A strange mark caused by an ancient artifact of unknown origin?" He chuckled softly. "Longer than you might think. I tried every test you could imagine, searched the Fade, yet I found nothing. Cassandra suspected duplicity. She threatened to have me executed as an apostate if I didn't produce results."

"Yeah, Cassandra is like that with everyone."  Rihari replied, remembering how untrusting the warrior had been when they had first met. She had blamed Rihari for the Breach, demanded she was lying about what happened. 

His face lifted in a smile as he chuckled. "Yes." As soon as the smile had came it went away, and she wanted nothing more than to put it back on his lips. Solas turned and led them back outside.

Once back in the cold winter sun, he shook his head. "You were never going to wake up. How could you, a mortal sent physically through the Fade?" He turned and smiled sheepishly as he marveled. "I was frustrated, frightened. The spirits I might have consulted had been driven away by the Breach. Although I wished to help, I had no faith in Cassandra... or she in me. I was ready to flee." 

"To where? The Breach threatened the whole world?" Rihari laughed. 

"Somewhere far away, where I might study the Breach before it's affects reached me." He smiled over at her, "I never said it was a good plan." 

He looked up at the twirling green break in the sky and motioned upwards with his hand, like he might touch it. "I told myself; one more attempt to close the rifts." He looked at the sky sadly as he dropped his hand. "I tried and failed. No ordinary magic would affect them. I watched the rifts expand and grow, resigned myself to flee, and then.." 

He smiled fondly as he turned towards her, remembering when they had met on the battlefield. "It seems you hold the key to our salvation. You had sealed it with a gesture.. and right then, I felt the whole world change." His eyes were locked onto her own. 

His words tingled over her skin. She stepped forwards, smiling. "Felt the whole world change?" 

He smiled. "A figure of speech." He replied softly. He found that he was being drawn towards her as well, his feet moved slowly forward, he hardly noticed. He was caught up in her eyes. 

She chuckled. "I'm aware of the metaphor, yeah? I'm more interested in 'felt'." They were so close now that she could almost feel  his breath on her skin. 

He looked down into her bright blue eyes, caught by the moment. "You change.." He considered a moment and a smile crossed his lips, "everything." And she did change everything. Everything he had planned, it was all changed now. Things could never be the same as they were before her.

Rihari looked down, her ears turning bright pink. She smiled. "You sweet talker." She moved in quickly, pulling his face towards her own as their lips met. 

The kiss lasted only a moment before she pulled away, he stood shocked a moment as she turned away. Then he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer as his lips brushed against hers. Her heart raced with excitement and reward for all her hard work courting him over the past months. He pulled back a moment, studying her face. There was a smile on his lips as he shook his head, but then he returned his lips to hers, this time more wanting. His kiss was hot, and his tongue found its way past her lips, tempting her. Her body ached as the kiss wore on. The moment seemed to last forever and yet not long enough, passing in a blink of the eye. 

He pulled away suddenly and shook his head sadly as he backed away. "We shouldn't. It isn't right. Not even here."

She furrowed her brow and looked around. "What do you mean, 'even here'?" 

"Where do you think we were?"

She looked around and suddenly it hit her. "This isn't real?" She felt her heart squeeze, just another dream? 

"That's a matter of debate." He smiled. "Probably best discussed after you wake up."

She sat up with a start, her heart pounded with exhilaration from the kiss. She was in her quarters somehow. She looked around confused. She wondered how she had gotten there. Before the dream, she had been in the rotunda. 

She got up quickly, her heart pounded in her ears. Her ears burned red hot, and she couldn't hide the smile on her face as she ran down the steps, taking them two at a time. She felt amazing, like she was floating. 

She tried not to run through the main hall, but found herself walking a bit too fast, catching the attention of a few workers. She rushed into the rotunda, Solas sat behind his desk but stood when he saw her. She walked over and shook her head with a smile. 

"I've never done anything like that before.. on a number of levels." She arched her eyebrows playfully. 

He chuckled brightly for a moment. "I apologize. The kiss was impulsive and ill considered, and I should not have encouraged it." She noted how conflicted he looked, like he wasn't truly sorry but at the same time was more apologetic than ever. 

She snorted. "Yeah? You say that but you're the one that started with tongue." The corner of her lips pulled into a smirk. 

"I did not such thing!" He said playfully. 

She laughed. "Oh. Does it not count if it's only Fade-tongue?" 

He laughed as well. "It has been a long time, and things have always been easier for me in the Fade." He frowned. "I am not certain this is the best idea. It could lead to trouble."

"I don't care about trouble. It follows me around. We're old friend." She smiled. "I'm willing to take the risk, if you are." 

"I.. may be, yes. If I could take some time to think. There are... considerations." He was distracted by his thoughts, his emotions and thoughts hidden just behind the blue of his eyes. Because of his distraction he didn't  catch the smile fall from her lips. She was struck by his words, they reverberated around inside her skull. She could almost feel them bouncing around in there. Knocking things loose. 

"Take all the time you need." She said softly. 

He looked to her face. "Thank you. I am not often thrown off by things that happen in dreams." He smiled at her, breaking through the barrier of self pity that had been scratching it's way up her spine. "But I am reasonably certain we are awake now, and if you wish to discuss anything, I would enjoy talking."

"Yeah, me too." She smiled brightly. She wouldn't be upset by his decision to think on it. It was a reasonable request, she was the Inquisitor now, and he was an apostate. There certainly were considerations. 

In any case, spending her evening listening to him speak and tell stories of the Fade, was one of her favorite pastimes. Though, she hardly heard him most nights, she only heard the soft tone of his voice, she only saw the glint in his eye when he retrieved the memory and told of it. She was in love.


	14. Chapter 14

"Exactly, like what is there to think about?" Rihari and Cassandra spent their evening sitting at a table near the bar. She had decided to share the earlier day's experiences.

"I cannot say for certain, but he is an apostate and you are the Inquisitor.. it could raise eyebrows." 

"Yeah, but isn't love worth that?" Oh my, the "L word" slipped past her lips almost undetected. Had the strange look that crossed Cassandra's face not reminded her of what she had said, she would have not even thought of anything wrong with her words. 

Suddenly, the woman smiled brightly. "I knew it! It is love!" She was overjoyed, ecstatic. 

Rihari laughed. "On my side it is, anyways."

"Oooohhh! Varric owes me a drink! I told him it would happen, knew it would happen."

Rihari laughed again, but only briefly. "You made bets on us?" 

Cassandra's smile fell. "Yes." Suddenly she looked ashamed to have made bets on her friend's relationship, but Rihari was not offended. She was amused. 

"That's okay. I just wander.." Rihari smiled again, a smile aimed to chip away at Cassandra's embarrassment. "What was the bet?"

"Varric did not think Solas would do anything, said he was too fidgety."

Rihari snickered. Fidgety was a good word for it, like an uncertain squirrel in the middle of your path, dashing this way and then that, trying to get away. 

Suddenly, Sera plopped down on the side of the table. "So you and elfy, yeah?" 

"Yep." Rihari replied. 

Sera chuckled. She started to sing a childish song "Serious pants and elfy sitting in a tree-" 

"Oh no you don't!" Rihari pressed her hand over Sera's mouth quickly, to hide the atrocities that would certainly spew from her mouth. When she released her they all laughed. 

"Hey Smiley." Varric approached in a slow strut as always. "What are you all laughing about, and why wasn't I invited to the party?"

"The elfy Lord smooched her." Sera prodded. 

"Whoa, what?" Varric looked at Rihari skeptically, but his smile gave him away. "You and Chuckles?" When Rihari nodded his eyes landed on Cassandra with a sneer on her lips. "Shit." 

"What's that, Boss? You and Solas?" The Iron Bull laughed softly, "I knew it! Good for you!" He was a softy at heart, even if he wouldn't admit it. "Krem, come here! It finally happened." 

Rihari laughed, her smile lighting up the room even more. "You guys are great." She smiled around at her friends, all lost in conversation about a bit of everything now. She was content, more content than she had ever been. This is where she belonged, she knew it as soon as she thought it. She wasn't sure she would ever return to her Clan. 

.....

She wandered down the main hall the next morning, her mind was sore from the nights activities, and she almost didn't hear the gruff coming from the rotunda. 

Her ears perked up, and she halted her stride. She listened carefully to the ruffle of papers, and unhappy gruffs. She turned towards the sound and entered the room. Solas sat behind his desk, flipping through paper and sipping tea. His face displeased. Had he heard of her telling of their moment in the Fade? 

"Solas? Something wrong with your tea?"

He made a face at his cup and sat it down. "It is tea, I detest the stuff." He sighed heavily. "But this morning I need to shake the dreams from my mind. I may also need a favor." 

"No way! You? A favor?" He looked on unimpressed and she relented. "Just playing, yeah? What is it?" 

He got up and walked away, over to where he had started painting the wall in a strange sort of murals. "One of my oldest friends has been captured by mages, forced into slavery. I heard the cry for help as I slept." He was fidgeting, unraveled. 

"Oh, Creators. I'd be happy to help you! How did the mages capture your friend? Blood magic?"

"A summoning circle, I would imagine." He finally dropped his hands from his face, but they still moved around nervously.

She cocked her head. "I'm sorry, what?"

He rolled his eyes at himself. "Oh, my friend is a spirit of wisdom. Unlike the spirits clamoring to enter our world through the rifts, it was dwelling quite happily in the Fade." He sighed again. "It was summoned against its will, and wants my help to regain it's freedom and return to the Fade." 

"I thought spirits wanted to find their way into this world." She stated. 

"Some do, certainly! Just as many Orlesian peasants wish they could journey to exotic Rivain." He shook his head, considering something. "But not everyone wants to go to Rivain. My friend is an explorer, seeking lost wisdom and reflecting it. It would happily discuss philosophy with you, but it had no wish to come here physically." 

"Well, do you have any idea what they want with your friend?"

He shook his head. "No. It knows a great deal of lore and history, but a mage could learn that just by speaking to it in the Fade. It is possible they seek information it does not wish to give, and intend to torture it."

"Okay, let's find you're friend as quick as possible." 

"Thank you." He gave a tight smile. "I got a sense of its location before I awoke. I will mark it on our map."

Immediately after leaving the rotunda, she headed for  the war room, marked map in hand. She set up the trip quickly, she told the advisors it was a pressing issue and they set out as quick as they could, about an hour later. 

...

The battle was hard won, Rihari had focused on the summoning circle's arcs. After breaking them down, the spirit was freed from bandage and shifted back into its original form. Solas knelt in front of her, a sad expression on his face. 

He had said some things to the spirit then, had reached up and touched her face one last time before having to let her go. He was angry, beyond angry he was infuriated. He turned on the mages that had trapped his friend. Rihari did nothing as he ended their lives. She thought they deserved it, she thought that they should have known better than to so such a thing. 

It was about a week before she saw him again. When he walked through the gates of Skyhold, she had rushed out to meet him. Cassandra had come to her chambers hollering that he was back and she should go meet him. Of course she had, Cassandra wanted their love to blossom. 

Rihari flashed her best smile when she saw him. "Well, fenedhis. Looks like I owe Varric a drink." She joked, he didn't smile and she shifted nervously. "I wasn't sure you were coming back."

"Neither was I for a time, but only a short time." He had a sad smile. "You were a true friend. You did everything you could to help, I could hardly abandon you now." 

"Where did you go, yeah?" She asked. 

"I found a quiet spot and went to sleep. I visited the place in the Fade where my friend used to be. It is empty, but there are stirrings of energy in the void. Someday, something new may grow there." 

"Hmm. What happens when a spirirt dies?"

He smiled at her sadly. She was always interested in learning more. It was an attractive trait. "It isn't the same for mortals. The energy of spirits return to the Fade. If the idea given the spirit form is strong, or the memory has shaped other spirits, it may someday rise again."

She pursed her lips. "So your friend might come back?"

He shook his head sadly. "No, not really. A spirits natural state is peaceful semi existence. It is rare to be able to reflect reality. Something similar may form one day, but it would likely have a different personality. It would likely not remember me, it would not be the friend I knew."

"The next time you have to mourn, you don't need to be alone." She said seriously. 

He turned his face away to hide his breath catching. "It's been so long since I could trust someone."

"I know." She said soothingly. 

He looked up and put on a small smile. "I'll work on it, and thank you."

"Of course." She smiled. He returned it a moment, taking in her face before it became awkward staring. "I should go, I have things to do, but we can talk later, yeah?"

"Always." He watched as she walked across the Courtyard towards the sick tents. He left as well, headed to the rotunda to study about the Fade.


	15. Chapter 15

Her hands slid onto the desk softly as she propped herself against it. Solas looked up from his book and cocked his head slightly. "Inquisitor." He greeted. She smiled her reply. She was too close on purpose, tempting him. 

"Feeling better?" An eyebrow shot up with her question, as if it were a challenge in some way. 

"I suppose so." He closed his book carefully, being sure to make a mental note of what page he had been on. He met her eyes steadily, pushing back in all playfulness.

He stood from his desk and walked around to meet her. "I was just..." He started, then considered. What was he just doing. He decided to never mind that. "Do you have a moment?" 

"Sure thing." He started walking and she walked with him, though she more or less led the way as they walked. She instinctively led them to her quarters. 

He didn't speak, and it quickly became awkward so she started speaking to fill the silence. "Tell me about the Fade." She smiled as she asked. It was a common thing she asked him, and he had began to enjoy her asking almost as much as she enjoyed the stories he told her. 

"What would you like to know?"

"Ummm.. tell me about another spirit. They're simply fascinating."

"Indeed." He smiled softly. "I once observed a spirit that helped guide the intentions of generals in a long forgotten war. She made sure to leave soft memories in their minds by leaving things about that reminded them of their own families, reminding them that every man had a family. Thus making them think about their men before they sent them to their death."

"Amazing." She shook her head with a smile. "Spirits are simply amazing."

He nodded his reply as they rounded the top steps into her quarters. He walked out onto the balcony, the sun was low in the sky, casting brilliant shades of orange across the white landscape. He had always loved this view, it was truly stunning.

"What were you like, before the anchor?" He asked, turning away from the sunset and looking at her. "Has it affected you? Changed you in any way? Your mind, your morals, your... spirit?"

"I don't think so." She said. "Why do you ask?"

"You show a wisdom I have not seen since..." He stopped himself a moment to rethink his statement. "my deepest journeys into the Fade. You are not what I expected." He smiled softly, a brush of red lit up his cheeks. 

She smiled playfully. "Sorry to disappoint."

"No. It is not disappointing.. it is mostly unpredictable." He kind of chuckled. "You have shown subtly in your actions. A wisdom I have not seen in a long time. If the Dalish could raise someone like you, have I misjudged them?"

"The Dalish didn't make me this way, yeah. The choices were mine."

"Yes, you are wise to give yourself that credit, but the Dalish, in their fashion, may have helped guide you." He paused, a smile softly stretched across his face. "Perhaps that is it then. It must be. Most people act with so little understanding of the world, but not you."

"So what does this mean, Solas?" Her eyes betrayed her.

"It means I have not forgotten about the kiss." His eyes betrayed him as well.

She stepped closer, mimicking his stature. Her eyes scanned from his eyes to his lips, waiting patiently for another such kiss. "Good." 

He canted his head slightly, a soft smile pulled across his lips and then fell flat. A battle flared behind his eyes, a conflict in interests with he and himself. He shook his head softly and turned to leave. Her hand shot out and grabbed his arm before he could go. "Don't go." She pleaded with her eyes as well as her tongue, and in the end that's what got him, those stunning blue orbs. 

His back was still turned, his eyes pressed closed. "It would be kinder, in the long run.." He turned back to her, and upon seeing her beautiful blue eyes, full of care and longing and need, he couldn't leave. He stepped a bit closer, his mind losing focus of the words he had planned to say, "but losing you would.." Suddenly his lips found their own way to hers and they pressed firmly there. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer. Her hands ran their way up his arms, leaving tingling trails even through the fabric of his clothing. Their lips danced against each other, tongues mingling in the middle. 

He pulled back from her begrudgingly, he had to have a little self control after all. His eyes locked onto hers. He seemed to trip into them, getting lost in the waves of blue that circled her pupil. She was stunning, the most beautiful soul in all of Thedas. "Ar lath ma, vhenan." The words tumbled out before he could stop them or even consider them.

His confession shocked even him, and for a moment he stood, looking into her eyes, retracing his steps. Then he dropped his arms from around her waist and slowly he turned away from her. He didn't look back as he exited to room. 

Once down the stairs and hidden safely behind the door, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He attempted to be angry with himself for letting it go this far. Why did he continue to pursue her? The more he tried to be angry, the more his heart was warmed and his lips pulled into a soft smile. He sighed as he turned to make his way back to his study. 

His confession of love stuck strong in her mind, warming her entire body. She laughed softly as she sat down behind her desk. The grin that spread across her face seemed to be permanent, it felt good to be cared about, to be loved even. It was the first time anyone had ever said as much to her. She decided to write to her brother, she had to tell him. 

She quickly pulled out some paper and dipped the quil in ink. She wrote all about her adventures and about what had just happened. She knew he would be happy to hear of a sweet relief during the war. On a more serious note she asked about her parents, and about the Clan. Was everyone safe? She needed to know. 

After sealing the letter and writing Lavellan on the front she delivered it to Josephine who jotted down a quick address on it and put it in a box with other letters to be sent this week. 

"Do you miss them, Inquisitor?" She asked as she placed it atop the pile. 

Rihari nodded slowly. "Of course I do, but the cause we fight for is a worthy one. It is important to save the world before rushing home, yeah?"

"Of course." Josie replied softly, turning her attention back to her paperwork. Rihari took that as her right to leave. She headed directly for the Courtyard. She had to tell Cassandra what had happened. She would be almost as thrilled as Rihari. 

She tried not to smile and give herself away too soon. She had to tell the story first, to make it seem like she wasn't absolutely overjoyed. She approached Cassandra from the side. She stopped practicing her sword swings and smiled as Rihari approached. 

"Inquisitor, how are-" 

"He kissed me again." Rihari blurted. Whatever about acting like she wasn't enthralled, she totally was. 

Cassandra's face lit up as she sheathed her sword and wiped a hand across her forehead, wiping away sweat. "I knew he would!" 

"And he told me he loved me." Rihari said a little quiter, not because she was embarrassed, but because she was so excited about the entirety of it all. 

The sun was setting, soldiers walked about lighting torches to light the courtyard against the dying sunlight. Cassandra led them to the tavern and sat at the bar. "He told you he loved you?" She asked as they sat down. 

"Yes, but he seemed conflicted about something."

"He always appears conflicted." Cassandra fronted. The bartender approached and they ordered two waters and two meals. "How did it happen?"

"Well, he asked me about the anchor. If it had changed me in anyway, I said I didn't think so." Rihari paused to recieve her glass of water, and took a long refreshing pull. She sat down the cup and continued her story. "Then he asked if he had misjudged the Dalish. I said no again. He said that I was wise or something, then-"

"Just get to the good part!" Cassandra interupted with a soft laugh. 

"Alright. We were about to kiss, and he suddenly turned away, I grabbed his arm and said 'dont go'. The he said 'It would be kinder in the long run'." She paused a moment. Why would he say that? "Anyway, then we kissed and then he told me he loved me, then he left."

Cassandra stared at her strangely. "He just left?"

"Aye."

"That is odd." Cassandra said. "Maybe he just needed time?" She looked to Rihari curiously, an eyebrow raised in suspicion. 

Rihari nodded her head softly. "Yeah." She cut the thought off and smiled brightly. "What about you?" Having a good day?"

Cassandra smiled. "Yes. It was wonderful. Even better now." 

Rihari's heart was warmed by her kind words. She was content with the present, she was happy even. Her friends filled her heart with warmth and love. They made her think she could stay here, in this moment forever.


	16. Chapter 16

She was lounging on the couch in the rotunda, she twisted the ends of her hair as she waited for Solas to return. He came through the door holding a dusty book. She sat up anxiously as he approached. She had been almost laying, but the sight of the book  intrigued her. After all she had been waiting all evening for time with him and his knowledge. 

She smiled as he sat beside her. "What's in it, yeah?" 

He smiled back, his hands swept over the old cover softly as he opened it. Dust poofed out from its interior as he flipped to a page. The smell if ancient paper floated through the air. "You may not believe it." He replied seriously. 

This only excited her. "What is it?" She sat up straighter even, looking like she might bounce off the ceiling if some amazing truth was shared. 

"It's...words." He tried to contain his smile, but it broke quickly. 

She punched his arm playfully as she laughed. "Fenedhis! That's not what I meant."

He chuckled before turnijg serious again. "It is a recollection of some ancient elven event."

She smiled brightly, anxious to learn more of her people. "Well, can I see it?" He passed it to her carefully, and she propped it on her crossed legs. Her eyes scanned the page, a few words lept out, but nothing of value. He watched her brow crease in frustration, felt her tugging at the Fade to whisper the words of an ancient language to her. The Fade, however did not hold the answers she searched for. 

She pointed her finger to a map on the next page. "Where is this?" The area looked familiar, yet completely foreign.

"That is Ancient Arlathan," he pointed to a spot on the map. "and this map is of Elvehnan." 

"How do you know that?" She looked up to him, arching one perfect eyebrow. 

He smiled softly. "It says so right there." He pointed again to a sentence above the map. Her eyes lit up with understanding, with wander. He watched her taking it all in, locking the knowledge away in a vault somewhere in the back of her mind.

She flipped the brittle page carefully.  His eyes scanned across her soft features, temptation crawled its way up his spine and latched on. "What does it say?" He asked softly, leaning closer to her. 

"It says, 'the people' something.. 'betrayed' something." She met his gaze, a blush slipped over her features. "It's so infuriating, yeah? I just want to be able to read the language of my own people."

He smiled sadly. "I know." He carefully took the book from her and she slipped under his arm as he propped it against his crossed legs. "I will read it to you if you would like." From her position against his side he could feel her take a deep breath before nodding her head. 

He pointed to where she had started reading and slid his finger along as he read. Hoping it might help her understand some of it. "The people were betrayed by those that had once saved them from those Forgotten to time. They demanded service, and the people were to give..." She squirmed a bit, pulling his attention to her. She was sitting upright, reading along with him the best she could. She was still intrigued by the words on the yellowed pages, but he had all but forgotten the book in his lap. 

He couldn't take his eyes off of her, she looked so serene as she searched the withered page for knowledge of a dead empire. Slowly, she turned her eyes on him. His breath caught in his chest, as did hers. He couldn't pretend he wasn't staring, and he didn't want to. He felt himself moving closer, not content to be so far from her lips. His eyes scanned her face, and her eyes flicked to his lips the closer he got. 

His lips brushed delicately against hers, driving all thoughts of the book from their minds. She slipped her tongue past his lips, only to retreat back to safety once he showed interest. His hand slid down to the small of her back, drawing a gasp from her lips. She wanted more, needed more. 

She moved her body closer to his, throwing a leg over his lap and settling comfortably on top of him. As she moved and he uncrossed his leg, the book fell to the ground with a vibrant echo that no one seemed to notice. 

His hands found their way into her hair and onto her face, and they pulled her deeper into the kiss. Her breaths were hot against his face, and her body was comfortable against his own. He lost himself in the moment, as did she. She tugged at one of his earlobes with her fingers as she nibbled at his lip teasingly. He grunted softly, which only served to excite her more. 

He broke the kiss long enough to tug her scarf off and nibble her neck. She moaned softly at his advance, and rewarded him by pressing herself against his obvious arrousal. The pressure dragged a sigh from his lips, making her smile with pleasure. He tugged anxiously at the bottom of her blouse and slipped his hand under the fabric and up her bare stomach. 

His hand sliding over her bare skin made her anxious, her body ached for more. She nibbled on his earlobe as his hand made its stretch upward toward her breasts. Once his hand reached it's destination, it slipped under her breast cloth with ease. A breathy moan slid off of her tongue as he gripped her breast firmly. It inticed him to go further, but he shouldn't. 

He tried to ground himself, pulling himself back to reality. He could not go further. He pulled his hand out of her shirt begrudgingly. His breath still coming in fast puffs. His body was still eager, and he flushed at the thought of his arrousal pressing against her. He pressed his head against her chest and closed his eyes, trying to focus against the ache between his legs. Her disappointment and curiosity were almost tangible things, radiating off of her body. 

"What's wrong?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly against her body, making him feel so alive. So safe. So warm and loved. 

He listened to the beat of her heart as it slowed from the erotic events. "Nothing." He said it so softly had she not been listening for him to speak, she wouldn't have heard. 

She sat back, pressing her hands on either side of his head so that she could look at him. "No?" She smiled, despite her aggravation. "Then what is this?" Her eyes searched his, looking for what it all meant. She saw only sadness reflected. 

"Ar lath ma, Rihari." He searched her eyes as well, hoping to see that she felt that as well. 

"Ar lath ma, Solas." She replied. 

"And I do not wish to complicate that right now, vehnan." 

"Oh." She nodded. "If that's what you think. I mean, no rush." She started to climb off of his lap, but he grabbed her, holding her in place. 

"Please stay." He whispered. 

A loving smile spread across Rihari's face as she looked into his eyes. She pressed her forehead against his, and she was so close that she noticed his eyes were almost violet around the pupil, and completely gorgeous. "I'll always stay." She whispered softly, watching carefully as his eyes lit up in a smile. 

He rearranged himself so that they could lay down on the couch, and she laid facing him, one leg over his body, head resting on his arm. There was silence throughout the castle at this time of night, the only sound was the soft crackling of wood in the fireplace right outside the door. Her mind was growing foggy with sleep, but she could swear that she could hear his heart beating in the silence. Though her forehead was pressed against his chest, she was typically not close enough to hear such a thing, and yet she did. She imagined her own heart beating to the same tune, synchronizing into one rhythm. As if even their hearts melded together and acted as one.

As they drifted off into sleep, she could feel the magic floating in the air, tingling across her skin. Not physical magic, but the magic that was their shared love. She was certain it was still real magic, as real as the love that she had for him. In the end, it was feeling him breathe beside her that coaxed her into sleep. It was a soothing feeling, a soft inhale and even softer exhale, his chest pressed against her a little more with every inhale he took. She thought of how well she fit there, against his body. Of how good it felt to be there. Of how good he smelled, like elfroot and smoking wood. Of how delicate his breaths were, and that was where she lost consciousness. 

....

Translations  
Ar lath ma- I love you.


	17. Chapter 17

Rihari had often thought of herself as grown and smart enough, when she had been young. She had not necessarily wanted to grow up, but simultaneously could not wait to make her own decisions without repercussions. Her parents were wonderful, had raised her up a proper lady. Some things, parents can not protect their children from, however. For instance, Rihari was a curious child, always finding trouble about the temporary camps. 

She, followed by the Clan wolf, Fen, would cause mischief everywhere they went. Rihari had taught Fen to "get it". She would walk by an object and touch it, then tell the wolf to "get it" once out of earshot. The beast would wag it's tail before prancing off to grab whatever object she had desired. Usually, the objects she pilfered she did so for a laugh and would give them back. Sometimes, if it were sweet cakes from a nearby city, or a toy she liked she would keep it. 

Now by her own unknowingly foolish decisions she found herself in trouble. There was a certain beauty to the trouble she found herself in now. A sad and beautiful thing that for now, seemed to be good. The repercussions would be worth it when they came, but Rihari didnt realize just how big those repercussions may be. 

She did not know she was in trouble, and the smile on her face as she spoke to Solas served as proof that she found herself to be safe in fact. However, one can only get so close before a snake bites, rather it is known that there is a snake in the grass or not doesn't matter to the snake. 

They walked on with their group, they had been exploring Crestwood for quite sometime, looking for allies and saving those they saw fit. At this moment they walked up a mountain path, having been told of a wyvern living in a cavern nearby that was a pest to the village. Rihari had promised to handle the beast. 

The cavern they found was beautiful, the veil was thin there, magic seemed to wash over their skin. Rihari smiled as it danced along her skin, whispering feelings of hapiness and joy, of sadness and regret. 

The wyvern the townsfolk had spoke of was not only one, but a mother and two younglings. The beasts attacked first, they had accepted the Inquisition's entrance to their cozy home as a threat. Understandable, but a mistake that would cost them their lives. 

The battle between beast and man is an old one. As long as the Earth has stood, and man crept across the land there has been battle between the two, never seeming to end. This battle in particular took longer than she expected. Rihari dodged around the young wyverns while Iron Bull and Cassandra circled around the mother wyvern.

The young chased her in frustration, their jaws snapping together as they missed her slender legs by mere inches. The small creatures threw their arms out, trying to make contact with flesh, but we're too young and clumsy. As they chased, Solas threw energy at them to slow their chase, and damage them as well.

Rihari found an opening and shot one of the wyverns through the eye with an arrow. The animal slung it's head around wildly, screeching as it slapped it's clumsy feet at the protrusion. It only caused the creature more pain when it's foot connected with the arrow. Rihari winced as it screamed, and so shot another arrow through the middle of its skull. This time the wyvern did not flail or cry out, it's body went limp and fell to the ground. 

The second went in a similar fashion. Her first arrow missed the animal, only grazing the side of its head. The second connected with the creatures neck, crushing it's windpipe. She watched as it gagged on its own blood, trying to spit it up so that it might breathe. She put it down the same as it's sibling. 

Now with time to breathe she bent in half, putting her hands on her knees, bow still in one hand. She wiped the sweat from her brow before standing up straight and replacing the bow on her back. The magic in this cozy oasis had aided her, making her swift on her feet during battle, and now it eased her fatigue. 

With time to look around, she was awestruck. The magic in the air almost twinkled. The statues of twin halla sat on either side of a glittering pool. A place lost to time, untouched yet overgrown. 

"Wow." She looked around. "It's beautiful here."

Solas approached her, smiling. "It is. The veil is very thin here." He stood a little too close as they observed their surroundings. The magic tingling on his skin setting him at ease. 

"I can feel it. Whispering on my skin." She slid her fingers softly up her arm. She smiled in his direction and he returned it. "It let's me feel the past, the emotions, whispers promises to tell me the history of this place."

"The Fade is shaped by the emotions of others, and of those that seek it." He watched as she closed her eyes, she sighed at the tingle of magic. 

"I love it here." She looked over to him with a smile. "We'll come back sometime, yeah?"

"Yes, ma'arlath." He gave her a firm kiss on the cheek, and felt her cheek move into a smile as he did. He couldn't help but smile against her skin himself. He pulled away, and slipped his hand into hers. "You are impressive during battle."

She cocked her eyebrow. "Am I?" 

"Yes. I would not be surprised if you were impressive in other areas as well." He tempted. 

Her smile was genuine, thinking of all the times they had kissed in his study, of all the times she had dragged him up the stairs to her chamber, stolen glances on the battlefield, and even touchy nights in her tent. 

"Maybe we'll find out, yeah?" Her smile was tempting. She was hopelessly in love, unaware of the trouble she faced in the near future. 

"I can hope." He smiled as he led her from the cavern, still hand in hand. He hadn't felt loved and cared for in so long, sometimes he wasn't sure where to take it. He had all but forgotten his goal, too infatuated with Rihari to care about it anymore. His time had been spent chasing her, rather than building his strength. 

Rihari bumped his shoulder with hers, and grinned. Solas continued to look forward, his mind somewhere else. He had to tell her the truth. He thought of it then, he must tell her the truth of it all, even if it hurt. He glanced over at her, she was happy and smiling, and he found that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he wiped the smile from her lips. So he kept quiet. 

...

They pressed their bodies against each other, their kisses happened between small gasps for air. Rihari pulled on his belt, feeling his arousal under the weight of her body. Her vagina ached for his length, and she made her thoughts known by rubbing herself against his bulge. He moaned in delight as she did, his penis pulsing against the fabric of his pants uncomfortably, begging to be released. 

She slipped her hand under his beltline, grasping his hard penis in her hand. His breath caught, he hadn't been touched in a long time and it felt so good. She smiled as she nibbled his lip, and then his neck. He slid his hands down her sides, pulling at the laces of her leathers and moving them away. His hands traced the outline of her breasts, as they kissed and she groped his personals. 

Her blouse and leather armor found its way to the ground of the small tent. She yanked his loose shirt from under his belt and pulled it off. She dappered kisses down his chest as she moved closer to his private area. She rubbed his arousal with her hand as she fumbled with his belt with the other. Finally, she loosened it and started to pull his breeches off.

A holler outside caught their attention. "Bandits approach!" Cassandra hollered. "Get ready!" The sound of a sword sliding from a scabbard proved it wasn't an illusion. 

Solas groaned as he pulled his pants back up, buckling his belt swiftly and standing to retrieve his shirt. Rihari panted as she threw back on her blouse and leathers quickly, she grabbed her bow as she exited the tent. She hoped none would notice the blush of her cheeks. The light of arousal still warmed her cheeks and her body. Solas waited a beat for his erection to dissipate before exiting the tent. He forgot to grab his staff however and laughed as he turned back to get it. 

The battle had been short, but exhausting. And after they had killed the intruders, looted their bodies, and dragged their corpses from the campground, it was late into the night. Perhaps it was only a few hours after midnight, but nonetheless they would not be getting much sleep. So every second was a blessing, and Rihari fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

Solas lie awake beside her, her head on his arm, the comforting bliss of sleep on her face. He watched as she breathed, her chest rising and falling. He sighed to himself as he ran his fingers down her cheek, halting on the marks of Dirthamen on her face for a beat. She stirred a bit, and he pressed a kiss to the spot where her ear met her jaw. "Ar lath ma." He whispered lovingly.

She was too perfect, he couldn't handle himself around her. Just like earlier that night, he should not have let it go that far, but ever since the day in his study they had been having far more frequent run ins with physical love. He thought he should not drag her along on his path. He dropped his hand to his side, and closed his eyes. He tried to synchronize his breathing with her own. 

Anxiety bubbled up in his chest, making each breath feel like another rock placed on his chest, one more and his lungs might collapse from the weight. They never did, as there were no rocks, only the weight of decisions were to bare down on his chest. He considered that the rocks might have been lighter of a burden, at least they only tormented you until death. 

He sighed and concentrated on her sleeping face, flushing the thoughts of anxiety from his mind with each gentle breath she took in. Finally, he drifted off to sleep with guilt nagging at his conscious like weights on a string. The string was going to break, it was only a question of when.


	18. Chapter 18

Rihari moved like water, shifting and changing in perfect harmony with battle. Solas was distracted by her, by the look in her eye when she let an arrow loose. By the smile that twitched at the corners of her lips when her opponent sputtered his last breath. 

She remembered her brother getting onto her as he mentored her. "You're like a fox," he had said, "sly and graceful, rowdy and swift. Efficient enough but you enjoy the hunt too much. Killing is not sport, lethallan." She had rolled her eyes and snorted. Felaern sighed, his cheeks weighing down the deep blue of June's vallaslin. "Focus, Rihari, if you are to take down a bear, you must be focused."

Sparks whizzed by her cheek, connecting into the face of a possessed Warden. Her attention snapped to the present. She turned on the balls of her feet and slammed the sharp end of her bow into his face. The sharp metal point dug in deep right above his right eyebrow and he went slack. No time to waste, she tore her bow from his face and fired a shot from the hip into a shade a few steps down from her. 

She was at her best in battle. Efficient, swift, almost undetectable most times. She skirted the outskirts of the battlefield, picking off enemies before they could reach her comrades. The inner field communicated among each other, yelling requests and warnings. She picked up on these and acted accordingly, her mind working through who to shoot next at light speed. 

The battle was moving up the stairs, and she needed to be at the front of the party. She jogged up to the others, as the caught their breath.

"We must move forward," Stroud stated. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and looked to the Inquisitor. 

Her arms ached from pulling back the string, and they were just getting started. She looked around at everyone to examine them. "Bull, you have a cut on your arm. Are you well?"

"Fine, boss." 

"Cassandra?" 

"I am ready, Inquisitor."

Her eyes landed on Solas and he nodded before she spoke. She smiled softly, a smile just for him. His heart warmed and his resolve hardened, he would see this through. For her. 

"Alright, Cassandra, Stroud, up front," Cassandra pulled up her shield and nodded, sword at the ready. Stroud unsheated his sword as well and joined her by the stairs. "Solas, Hawke, behind me. Iron Bull will be behind us at the end." Bull huffed and Rihari gave him a hard look. "I need someone tough and determined at the end, someone ready to fend off enemies from all sides, and keep the mages from too many attacks. That's you."

"Got it," he replied.

"Alright. Let's do this!"

....

She was falling, air rushing at every corner, all of her comrades following as they tumbled down towards the rocky ground. She held out her hand and closed her eyes. They were going to die. For a brief moment everything slowed and she could feel the air rushing around her, hear the beat of the dragon's wings off beat with the whooshing of her desperate heart. Then a loud crack, like the snap of a whip right beside her face. Heat rushed at her and she opened her eyes in time to see the Fade opening below her. 

Everything was confusing here and she needed guidance. "Solas?" She turned to look at him, but he was distracted.

He raised his hand toward something I'm the distance. "The Black City.. almost close enough to touch." He dropped his hand to his side. A dark expression slid over his features for just a split second, but she caught it. Guilt. Longing. But for what?

...

The Fade. They had been physically in the Fade. That amazement almost overcame the guilt of leaving Stroud behind to fight off the Nightmare demon. She could barely even reach into the Fade in dreams. To fall in it, physically.. amazing. Apparently, it wasn't the first time, the spirit masquerading as Divine Justinia had helped her recover that. 

The things she saw in those memories would probably haunt her forever. All kinds of nightmarish creatures and sights. Spiders with a thousand eyes, demons with the marks of her kin on their faces, those had been the most terrifying. She had wanted to scream. She had tried to plead with them and they only opened their gaping mouths, jaws unhinged and teeth broken, and laughed in her face. 

Justinia had forced her forward at every step, explaining that it wasn't them. It wasn't real. Rihari was humbled by the woman's sacrifice. She had given her life so Rihari might live. And no one would ever know that she had, they wanted to continue believing that it was Andraste herself that had released her from the Fade. Preposterous. 

"I heard what it said to you," Rihari whispered sideways to Solas. He turned his head slightly in her direction, but didn't show his gaze. She refferred to the Nightmare demon. It had said things to all of them, trying to get under their skin. It had thrown her disbelief in the Gods in her face. Snickered as it declared her abandonment to her people to play "Inquisitor". It whispered atrocities to her every step of the way. She wondered what all else it had said to the others. 

"Indeed, but we should not speak of it here."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, but we will speak of it." She leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He smelled like blood and sweat, but she was too exhausted to care about that, or about the fact that other people rode in this carriage with them. 

Cassandra acted as though she saw nothing strange while beside her Blackwall looked out of the small barred window. Displeased at the decision to exile the Wardens no doubt. It didn't matter what he thought, she made the choices and he would accept that. 

She leaned her head against his chest and tried to close her eyes. She could feel the prickle of eyes looking at them, but she didn't care. It didn't matter, everyone already knew of their relationship, this only solidified it in their eyes. 

.....

"So what was it about?" She announced her presence with a question. He might have jumped had he not been expecting her. He turned back from the wall, a small paint brush in hand, and a pallete of paint in the other. He walked meaningfully over to the desk and sat the pallete down, balancing the brush on the edge of it. He was wasting time, hoping to delay the inevitable, and it was painfully obvious. 

"What do you speak of, vhenan?" 

She rolled her eyes. "Don't play coy. 'Dirth ma, harellan. Ma banal enasalin. Mar solas ena mar din'". He looked on blankly, like he didn't hear her, or didn't want to. "Tell me, traitor. Your victory amounts to nothing. Your pride will lead to your death," she translated roughly. The words has leapt at her when they were spoken, but she couldn't be sure why. She didn't know that much elven. 

Solas pursed his lips. "The Nightmare plays off of one's fears, lethallan."

"Don't call me that," she almost yelled. Dorian peeked down from the balcony overhead, but quickly went about his business. Or appeared to, but she suspected he was still listening. She took a breath. "You sound like you're lecturing me. Like I'm not your equal, like we aren't together. Like I don't deserve answers." Her eyes were hard when the connected with his. She was tired of this game. 

His eyes squinted softly. Anger flicked behind his eyes, but she didn't know why this struck a cord. Why was it this big secret? "Fine. Ask what you will."

Her cheeks flushed red hot with the prick of oncoming anger. "Why did it say that?" Solas slid the paint and brush off the table and made his way back over to the wall. He painted deliberate strokes, but said nothing. "Uhh, hello. Why?" She repeated. 

He sighed, but refused to face her. He continued to paint, pausing only briefly to make a statement. "The Nightmare feeds off of fueling ones anger," he deadpanned. 

"Fenedhis. Really?" She laughed dryly. "It only stated things true to me. It grabs things from your mind, it doesn't make things up." She crossed her arms and burned holes into the back of his head with her angry eyes. "I'm concerned that it called you traitor. Are planning to betray us--me?"

He turned back, anger flushed across his face. "A ridiculous question."

"Then why did it say that?" She bit at her cheek, wearing a hole into the flesh. 

"Does it matter?" His eyebrows stitched together in solemn anger. His resolve hardening, he would speak nothing of it. 

"It does, yeah?" 

"It does not." He turned back to the wall. Pressing the brush back to the wall. He made a curving line downward, then dipped the brush back into the paint. 

"Damnit, Solas," she walked across the room and shoved in front of him. She made eye contact and tried to convey all of her feelings into it. "You can talk to me, you know." 

His eyes searched hers desperately, wanting to believe that so bad. He opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it and shut it. Her eyes glinted with disappointment, a look he never wanted to see on her. "It happened a long time ago. I am.. not the same man anymore. I would rather not speak any more of it. However, it is not what it seems "

"Okay," she replied. At least he had said something, a small victory. He looked over her features with soft eyes, getting trapped in her bright blue eyes. Any other time she would have liked it; now it just aggravated her. He couldn't deflect her curiosity with care forever. Some time or another, he would have to tell her what she wanted to know. He raised a hand to touch her cheek, having transferred the brush and pallette into just one hand. 

She slid away at the last moment. She needed him to think on this, and she'd make sure he would. "Fine." She flashed an icy smile. "I have work to do. I'll see you later, yeah?" She didn't look back as she headed for the exit. 

His jaw flexed instinctively. His anger was released from the oppression of her beauty, it now flared bright. Bright hot anger spread throughout his body, reaching down into his fingertips and setting them a glow with the wash of magical flames. "Dareth shiral," he said softly. He clenched his fists hard, digging fingernails into his palm and focusing on his caused pain instead of hers. 

She was getting pushy, needing to know the details. Normally, that would be fine, but in his life that complicated things. She couldn't know what he was, what he had done. She couldn't ever know. That's what made him so angry, that he couldn't share these things. He didn't want to lie, but he'd have to come up with something. 

An elven skirmish? Yes. Something like that actually. He sighed and shut his eyes. He started to lean against the wall, then remembered the wet paint and stopped himself. What are you going to do?

...  
Fenedhis- a curse 

Lethallan- kin/female kin 

An elven skirmish? Is a reference to a banter between Solas and Blackwall. 

Dirth ma, harellan. Ma banal enasalin. Mar solas ena mar din- what the Nightmare says to Solas in the Fade. There is no official translation, so the translation shown in the story is an approximation.


End file.
